What to Expect When You're Expecting
by BonneyQ
Summary: Gray x Juvia – AU – A drunken encounter leads a couple of young adults into much more than they expected. Will they learn along the way to be together or will it break them apart?
1. Drunken Mistakes

**AN: **Yeah, me again with another baby!fic, as you can notice by the name. I just can't get enough of a pregnant Juvia. I truly can't. :')

**Summary:** Gray x Juvia – AU – When you do _not _expect to be expecting, it can be quite crazy

**Disclaimer:** Neither Fairy Tail nor the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting" belongs to me.

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter One – Drunken Mistakes**

**#**

_S is for the simple need, E is for the ecstasy. X is just to mark the spot because that's the one you really want. Sex is always the answer, it's never a question, 'Coz the answer's yes _– **S.E.X - Nickelback**

**#**

Juvia opened her eyes and blinked a few times trying to get used to the light as a massive headache started, along with a little nausea. She groaned, recognizing the signs of the imminent hangover and frowned a little once she realized that, strangely, her pillow seemed to have a heartbeat and was steadily breathing.

_Strange._ Juvia thought. Why would her pillow be breathing?

She sat, blinking a lot: her head was hurting like a bitch because of the faint light and she was dizzy for a moment. The blunette looked behind her to the bed she was previously sleeping in and couldn't believe in what she was seeing. Maybe she was still drunk. Or maybe she was dreaming…

…because, thinking for a moment, that _ought_ to be the only explanation of why she was without clothes –she realized– and with Gray Fullbuster in a very comfy, but messy, bed.

Putting the blanket above her chest, she tried to understand what the hell was happening. She had imagined that scenario a few times that's for sure, but in her head, she could remember _exactly_ what led them to the state of nakedness. Juvia blushed once she felt her body deliciously sore, the kind of soreness that only happened once a person had amazing and mind blowing sex.

And apparently, she did.

Juvia looked around and realized that she was in Gray's bedroom. She had been there a few times whenever there was a party – mostly thrown by Gray's roommate, Loki – or whenever there was a soccer game on TV, and everyone gathered there to see it, since they had the biggest TV of all of their friends. The guys took their little video-game competitions to a high level and worked their asses off for the money to finally get the TV.

But, even though she wanted, she never was _naked_ in there. With _him_ naked as well.

She glanced over her shoulder again and looked at his sleeping figure. Of course, Gray was as gorgeous as ever: his dark hair was messy, his bare chest was very well defined and his tattoo – the symbol of their club, Fairy Tail – was showing. As her eyes wandered to his lower body, Juvia blushed and returned her gaze back to his sleeping face, which was one of the cutest things she ever saw.

Gray usually had a frown in his face and even with it he was one of the most handsome men she ever seen, but his sleeping face was _so_ peaceful and the frown was gone, making him even more beautiful in her eyes.

It wasn't a secret that Juvia was madly in love with Gray, that she was sure, but he had a thick skull, and was keeping a blind eye and refused to acknowledge her feelings and as far as she knew, he hadn't make any moves to get her or to even hint that he was planning to be with Juvia.

So what the _hell_ happened the night before that changed it?

**#**

Gray woke up with the sounds of steps inside his room, then some noise followed by mumbled cuss words proffered by a feminine voice. It was strange. Why would a girl be in his room? He opened his eyes and he immediately gasped, because of his headache and the person he saw.

There wasn't _any_ woman inside his room. It was Juvia. And her state of clothing wasn't exactly helping his mind to focus or discover what was happening, because she was just wearing jeans and a light pink bra. Her hair was loose and a little messy and he couldn't help but notice the hickey on her neck.

"Juvia, what the…?" He asked and she stopped looking for whatever she was searching and looked back to him. Her face as red as a ripped tomato and she had a confused look.

"Gray-sama." She stood there speechless for a few seconds, then her eyes moved and the blunette sighed in relief. She walked and went to grab something that was on his nightstand. Gray recognized it was the shirt she was using the night before. "Go back to sleep. Juvia was just searching... her shirt." As she was speaking, the blunette put the shirt on. "Hm… So… great party last night."

"Thanks…?" Gray was confused. What was she doing –_shirtless_– inside his room while he was asleep and naked? Waking up naked wasn't exactly new for Gray; he had a very fast metabolism and he felt heat better than other people. But having Juvia half-naked as well was a bit…

Two plus two equals…

'_Oh. Shit_.' He thought. For a smart man, Gray took some time to figure it out what probably happened between them.

"Wait, _did_ we…?" He asked, finally getting his mind to work enough to make the decision to cover himself, since no one needed to see his business. Covering his body with a sheet, Gray watched as Juvia grabbed her shoes.

"Just…" Juvia opened the door of his bedroom, not even bothering to put her high heels on. "…forget about _this_, Gray-sama."

"Forget? I don't even _remember_ what happened!" He exclaimed and she sighed in relief.

"Me neither. So, everything is just fine. If neither of us remembers anything, nothing happened." Her cheeks were still rosy and Gray felt his face get flustered as well. Did he and Juvia have sex? His body screamed 'fuck, yeah!' He could recognize the feeling of a good night of sex anywhere, so yes, he was pretty sure that they did it, even if neither remembered. "Juvia will go now." She said, leaving the room.

"Wait, we have to talk about this." Gray knew that he probably sounded like a girl, many guys would pray for a girl who would run away after a night of sex; but Gray wasn't one of those guys. And besides, Juvia was his friend, he cared for her.

Apparently even more than he knew he did.

With the sheet still covering the lower part of his body, he got up and ran after her. Once he reached the living room she stopped to grab her purse on the kitchen counter and he finally managed to grab her by the arm, as gently as he could.

"Juvia, we have to…"

"No, we don't." She managed to get herself loose of his grip. "Neither of us remembers, Gray-sama. It's better if we don't give much attention to it, okay?"

"Juvia? What are you doing here so early?" Loki asked, coming out of his room, only wearing boxers. The timing that guy had….His face was red, as if he was sleeping not much time before. He was scratching his bare chest and stopped once he saw the sheet wrapped around Gray's waist and Juvia's clothes. Being in the situation Gray was into a few times, he immediately knew exactly why Juvia was there so early: she never left. "Wait, did you two…?"

"Shut up, Loki!" Gray turned to look to his roommate, who was with his mouth hanged open in surprise.

"Please, forget that you saw Juvia here, Loki-san." Juvia said and used the opportunity to sneak away of the apartment. She opened the door and before Gray turned again into her direction, she was out.

"Dammit!" Gray exclaimed and went after her. Once he reached the lobby, the dark haired man noticed the door of the stairwell closing. He couldn't go after her only wearing a sheet. Gray returned to his apartment to put some clothes on. Loki hadn't move. "Shit!"

"Gray, did you and Juvia sleep together?" The orange haired man asked, snapping out of his startled state as soon as Gray passed by him to go to his room.

"I don't know, okay?" Gray groaned. "I don't remember. But giving the evidence…"

"I can't believe this!" Loki laughed after thinking for a few moments. "You two _finally_ hooked up! Thank god, that sexual tension between you two was driving me crazy."

"There wasn't any tension." Gray snorted, while searching for some underwear. Once he found his white boxer lying on the floor, beneath his jeans, he started to put it on.

"Sure." Loki rolled his eyes. He watched as Gray started to put his jeans on and a thought crossed his mind. "Wait… why was she running from here like the devil himself was after her? Wasn't she supposed to be happy about it?"

"That is what I was going to find out, before you interrupted us." Gray said and opened his closet to grab a shirt.

"Oh, no." Loki blocked Gray's way when the dark haired man tried to go out of his bedroom. "Don't go after her right now."

"What? Of course I'm going. Only god knows what's on her mind right now." Gray tried to go out again, but Loki blocked him again. "Oh, come on, man!"

"You can't go after her right now, Gray." Loki said, simply.

"And why on earth is that?" Gray put his shirt on and stared at his friend with irritation.

"You said that you don't remember what happened, right?" Loki asked and Gray nodded. "Well, then, what are you going to say to her? 'I don't remember that we had sex last night, but I'm sure it was lovely. My bad'?"

"If I don't, she'll..." Gray tried, but Loki interrupted him. They both knew how carried away she could get with her imagination.

"Look, I get it okay? You don't remember and you want to know what happened. That part is fine. The problem is: Juvia is a girl." Loki said. "She is freaking out right now, calling her all her girlfriends to know what that meant for you. And, unless you know _exactly_ what to say, you stay put and think. You could worsen this whole situation with a single word." Gray knew Loki had a point. He couldn't just go after Juvia like that, when he didn't know what that night meant to him. He could hurt her by saying the wrong thing and even lose their friendship.

"I know." Gray sat on his bed, his hands covering his face. "Why the hell did I sleep with her?"

"You guys had so much sexual tension." Loki snorted. "It was bound to happen, really. Now that it did, maybe you two can move on." The orange haired man shrugged. "Maybe now that she had you, she'll leave you alone. By the way she ran away, it _did_ look like she was through with you."

Gray removed one of his hands to stare daggers at his roommate. He didn't want the relationship he had going on with Juvia changing; they had a steady thing going and he was used to the way things were.

Of course, Gray Fullbuster had no idea of what was happening inside Juvia as he thought that and how much things would change for both of them.

**#**

Juvia arrived at her apartment after 10 minutes she left Gray's. Talk about a walk of shame. It felt like every person knew that she had sex the night before and was just returning home. Did she have the scarlet letter on her chest or something?

She entered her bathroom and took a shower, while trying to cope with what happened.

She slept with her Gray-sama.

The sad thing was that she barely remembered it. Juvia had some memories: Gray whispering some sweet nothing into her ear and kissing her after, his hands on her body, the way they fit together like a perfect puzzle...

Juvia never knew that she could drink so much that she couldn't remember what she had done the night before. It was her luck that when her crush _finally_ made a move on her, she couldn't remember it all.

Turning off the water, the woman stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, going to her room.

Lucky for her, it seemed that her roommate wasn't there: too many questions would be asked. Questions she didn't have the answers to.

Questions she was still sorting out herself.

How did it happen? Why did it happen? Does he love her? Was it a one night stand? How they would act towards each other?

Juvia's head was pulsating with pain and she thought that she was going to die. The nausea wasn't helping either. She put her sleeping clothes, and helped herself two aspirins and threw herself in her bed. Maybe if she slept it off, things would look better in the morning. Maybe nothing had to change.

Of course, Juvia Lockser had no idea of what was happening inside herself as she thought that and how much things would change for both of them.

**#**

**AN:** Well, what can I say? I already wanted to write another baby story about Gray and Juvia and I thought: '_What the hell, I'll just make them live in the real world and have the thirty babies Juvia always wanted!_', you know? I just hope that it doesn't end up like the cheap harlequin novels I happen to read.

And, this has **nothing to do with "The Baby Problem"**! It is a completely unrelated story, even though there are similarities; like Gray's relationship with Juvia. . But everything else will pretty much be different. For starters, there's no magic: it's placed in the 'real world' and some major characters that were not used much before in "The Baby Problem" will have more appearance! Let's see if I can do that, right? :D

Anyway, I do **not** intend this story to be too long, ten chapters or so, max. But we'll see where the wind takes us; The Baby Problem was supposed to have a few chapters as well.

For the ones who don't know, English is not my primary language, it is Brazilian Portuguese. You **will **find mistakes. If you can, please point them and I'll fix it as soon as I can.

Any thoughts? :D

01/13/13 (My birthday *_* No better day to start a story, right?) :)


	2. Big Girls Are Allowed to Cry

**AN:** HOLY SHIT, YOU GUYS! Thirty-three reviews in chapter one? Are you guys trying to give me a heart attack or something? :O

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Two – Big Girls Are Allowed to Cry**

**#**

"_Gave me 2 different tears, after all these years. Tears of joy, tears of pain, like sunshine and rain"_ – **2 Different Tears – Wonder Girls**

**#**

Gray called Juvia for the hundreth time that day and for the hundreth time he got her voicemail.

_'You reached Juvia. Leave a message and she'll call you back as soon as she can.'_

"Shit!" Gray swore and earned some mean looks from some people. "What? Didn't you ever swear before?" The people who were staring looked away while Gray ended the call. He didn't leave a message. What he had to talk to her about couldn't be done by the phone and when he was in his college's hall. "Why doesn't she answer me?"

He was walking towards the room he was supposed to have his next class and since the moment he arrived he was calling Juvia.

It had been two days since she left his house. It was Monday already. He had two days to think what tell her and he had come up with nothing. Zilch. Nada.

Gray's cheeks became red as he remembered pieces of the night they spent together. He still didn't recall the whole thing, but the important event was clear in his mind. The way she moaned his name, the way her body felt touching all of his, her very responsive actions and the bliss to be inside her.

Truth be told, Gray wanted to remember it all. If the pieces he recalled were that good, all of it would be even better; and since they already done it, the memory wouldn't hurt much.

He would take Juvia's advice and forget about it, but for that, he needed to _talk _to her and see that she was fine, because he knew that friendship was not the only thing the girl felt for him.

Since when she was transferred to Magnolia University three years before, Juvia had always been around him, trying to get him out on a date and eventually, they became friends. But Gray knew she felt more towards him than friendship.

That's why the reaction she had, about forgetting all about the night they spent together, was so difficult for him to understand.

Gray glanced to his watch and groaned. He had an important class, he couldn't miss it, otherwise he would've gone search for her. Calling her one more time, he went toward the classroom and when it was voicemail again, he cussed loudly, making some people look in his direction. He ignored them and walked to his class.

During lunch time he would find her and talk to her or his name wasn't Gray Fullbuster.

**#**

Maybe he needed to change his name afterall: he didn't find Juvia. Usually, they had lunch together with the rest of their friends at the cafeteria, but that day, she wasn't there, as he could see once he reached their usual table and realized that none of the five people there was the blue haired woman.

"Have you seen Juvia today?" He asked once he stopped by the table. No 'hello' or 'how are you guys doing?'.

"Didn't see her." Natsu shrugged. And kept eating his sandwich.

"Me neither." Loki said, without stop looking to a blonde woman across the cafeteria and raising his eyebrow to her, making the woman giggle. "Oh, I love freshmen."

"Sorry." Levy didn't even look up from her book.

"Today she was supposed to have classes with Lisanna, right?" Lucy asked the white haired girl and Gray also looked at the girl.

"Yeah. But she didn't come today." Lisanna's eyebrows got together as she thought. "Next week is our exams, she shouldn't be missing classes."

"Damn it!" Gray say next to Lucy and sighed in defeat. "I really need to talk to her."

"What happened?" Lucy asked and Gray eyed her in confusion. Hadn't Juvia called Lucy? He thought she was going to.

"Didn't she tell you?" He frowned.

"Didn't she tell me _what_?" The blonde was confused. "I haven't talked to her since that silly soccer party you guys made us go." She rolled her brown eyes.

"Really?" Gray kicked Loki under the table, and the man finally moved his attention to what was happening. At their table. "Juvia did _not_ call you Saturday morning?"

"No." Lucy answered and Gray stared daggers to the orange haired man.

"I don't have a crystal ball, dude." Loki mumbled while massaging the spot Gray kicked –quite hard, if he may say.

"Lisanna?" The white haired girl shrugged and shook her head. "Levy?" The girl looked up in question after hearing her name. "Did you hear from Juvia these past few days?"

"Yeah." The petite girl nodded. "I went to her apartment Saturday evening."

"Really?" Gray frowned. "Was she alright?"

"Yes." Levy shrugged. "She even made an apple pie."

"Then why doesn't she answer my calls?" Gray asked. Everyone knew that Juvia would answer a _breath_ Gray would take; her _not_ taking his calls was out of that world, actually and now everyone had his attention, even the one who had no idea what happened between the two of them a few days before.

"Now that's strange." Lucy said and took her own phone from her purse to call the other girl. Everyone was looking at her with expectation. After a few seconds, the blonde girl sighed and shook her head. "Voicemail." Gray groaned. Man, what had he done to her? She was probably crying her eyes out while they were talking! Why he had listened to Loki? The shit-head couldn't keep a woman for more than- "Have you tried calling Gajeel instead?"

-a one-night stand and… Gray processed what Lucy had just said, blinked and wanted to kick himself for a moment there.

Of course! Gajeel! They were roommates! And since Levy was at the University it meant that he was probably aware of any weirdness about Juvia, his focus not on his petite girlfriend.

Stupid Gray. _Stupid_.

The dark-haired man was about to grab his cellphone to call Gajeel, but Levy already had her own sparkly blue phone out and was already dialing her boyfriend. After a few seconds, she talked.

"Hi, sweetie!" The petite girl said happily and everyone at the table laughed a little: Gajeel Redfox was anything _but_ sweet. If anything, he was scary as shit. And he probably told her exactly that, because her next words were: "Yes, you are my sweetie-pie and you know it." A moment of silence and then she smiled softly. "No, everything is fine, Gajeel. Don't worry." She heard whatever he said and giggled. "I know that I said 'no phone calls during college hours unless it's an emergency', but I am alright. No need to worry." Another pause. "Aw, really? You say the nicest things, sweetie. Even though I'd rather not have you barging in at the University with a baseball bat to shove in someone's ass." Natsu laughed loudly, gaining some attention while Gray was growing impatient with the conversation between them. He just needed information about Juvia's whereabouts! He waved in front of Levy's face and she nodded. "Listen, did you see Juvia today? We're worried because she didn't show up for class and isn't answering her phone." Levy let out a few 'hm' and was nodding while Gray just stared, waiting. "And was she alright?" She nodded. "I see. And why isn't she answering her phone?" The blunette's lips made a perfect 'o' as she heard her boyfriend on the other line. "Okay, I get it. My place tonight?" Another pause and she laughed, blushing a lot. "I know. Love you, sweetie. Bye."

The petite blunette girl hung up and looked up. "Gajeel said that she was getting ready to go to work, some emergency happened at the store, so she won't be coming to the University today. When he left for work earlier today, she was taking a shower and she seemed fine as far as he could tell. So, she's alright, no need for worry." She shrugged. "And she's not answering her phone because she lost it somewhere and she checked their apartment a few times and couldn't find it anywhere." Levy stared to Loki and then to Gray. "Since she didn't leave the apartment during the weekend, it's probably at your place. You two should look for it."

"Yeah, we will." Gray frowned. All that sounded reasonable enough.

And that scared him: Juvia was _everything_ but reasonable. If she was her usual self, everyone at Magnolia's University would know they had sex. Not only that, they would know details even _Gray_, who was there, didn't know about. The fact that everything was normal was scaring the shit out of him.

He could deal with crazy: he had been dealing with crazy for a very long time. He was an expert, really. Gray's gut was giving him the highest of the alerts after everything that happened. It wasn't Juvia-like to not tell people about any progress in their crazy and unbalanced relationship. He had to go see her and talk things through or he would lose his mind, really.

He didn't even notice that his friends started to talk about something else, because his mind was planning his next move. And if he heard right, Gajeel was going to Levy's place that night. Everything was going well. He just needed to know what to tell her.

**#**

"Coming!" Gray heard the voice from inside and knew that it was Juvia. He sighed. The confrontation was finally gonna happen. When she opened the door, her expression was one of surprise. Her cheeks were red in a second. She was wearing light blue sweat-pants and a white tight t-shirt that was a little too tight on the chest.

"G-Gray-sama!" She said, surprised. Instinctively she passed her hand through her hair to make it more presentable. "Hi! Juvia was not expecting you."

"Yeah, I know." Gray said passing a hand through his own hair; it was his way of showing anxiety. "Can I…?" He looked pass her, to the apartment.

"O-of course!" She opened the door enough so he could pass. "Sorry about the mess." Gray rolled his eyes: even though Gajeel lived there, the place was spotless. The only thing out of place was the popcorn and soda at their center table at the living room. "If Juvia had known that she would have guests…"

"No guests. Just me." Gray shrugged and took off his satchel and put it close to the door. He was wearing his usual white coat, but left it on, even though for him, the temperature was equally balanced to an oven's. If the conversation took more time than he imagined, he could always take it off. "We need to talk."

Juvia laughed without humor and pointed to the couch. "This is never good to the person that hears it."

Gray sat on the couch and waited for her to join him at the opposite side of the couch. A week later, Juvia would sit so close to him that it could've been better to make her sit on his lap and save the trouble. Yet, it wasn't as uncomfortable to have her away from him like that instead of so far away. After some awkward minutes, he spoke.

"I tried to call you a few times."

"Juvia can't find her phone." The blunette sighed. "It's probably…"

"Back at my place. I know." Gray completed and she nodded.

"The battery must've died." Juvia mumbled.

"It happens after three days." He looked to her, but Juvia was finding the walls of her apartment quite interesting that night. They were both in awkward silence again for a minute. "We have to talk about what happened eventually, Juvia."

The woman closed her eyes and sighed. She knew that they had to discuss what happened between them that night so their relationship could go anywhere, or even stay at the same point as it was before.

"I know." She mumble but neither spoke for some time.

"Fine, I'll go first." Gray took a deep breath after not bear the silence anymore. On his way over, he thought a bit about what he was going to tell her, it wasn't much, but it was all he got. "I don't know what came over me that night. I didn't drink that much, but somehow I did and I wasn't myself. I am sorry for taking advantage of you."

Juvia's head snapped towards him and she was surprised. "What? Take advantage? That's what you think happened?" Juvia shifted a little from her place on the couch. "If anything, Juvia was the one taking advantage of Gray-sama. She also doesn't drink that much but that night was strange, and what happened between us, it was probably Juvia who made you do it! It's all her fault."

Gray snorted. That was funny: a pretty girl like Juvia, whom Gray was already attracted to (he didn't have to be in love with her to think that she was hot), 'making' him have great sex. "Trust me, Juvia. What happened that night: I was as much into it as you were, as far as I can remember."

Both blushed hard at that comment.

"D-do you remember?" Juvia asked shyly and Gray nodded.

"A little. It's kind of blurry, but…" He started to take off his jacket; the room was hotter than before. "I can remember that we _did_ have sex. No doubt." Juvia nodded. "And you? Do you remember?"

"Parts of it." Her face was so hot at that moment, she was so embarrassed. "It is like you said, Gray-sama. 'No doubt'."

"So, why did you run away from my place so fast?" Gray asked. "We could've talked things through _then_." His tone was a little accusatory and she lowered her head in shame.

"Be-Because Juvia was so… overwhelmed. She is not the kind of girl who wakes up naked with a random guy." The blunette said. And Gray raised an eyebrow.

"A random guy?" He thought she had feelings for him and now he was some 'random guy'? Maybe Loki was right: now that she had him, she would stop the stalking.

"N-No!" She said fast after realizing her mistake. "It's just… Juvia is not the kind of girl to have one night stands and it was surprising to wake up on… top… of… you." With each word, her voice was getting lower and lower, until the last word was barely a whisper. "Juvia talks a lot about these things, you know, doing all of that with, well… with _you_," She was as red as she could be, but they needed to put everything in the clear and it wasn't like Gray didn't know. "but the truth is that she had only one boyfriend her whole life and it had been years since…"

Juvia stopped talking, but Gray caught what she meant. It had been years since she was single and since she wasn't into one night stands, it had been some time since she had been intimate with a man. At the end, Juvia was all bark and no bite.

"I get it now why you ran." Gray nodded. He also had been alone for quite some time. He never dated anyone seriously, but he had some lady friends. Thinking about it, he stopped seeing his special friends since Juvia arrived in Magnolia and fixated on him. He could've chuckled with the coincidence if that wasn't a serious conversation. "It was a surprise for me as well. We are _friends_." He passed his hand over his face. "And I'm afraid that what we did can change what we have. I don't want to lose your friendship because a night we got drunk and…"

"_Never_." Juvia said with such conviction that Gray looked surprised for a moment. "No matter what happens, Gray-sama, you'll always have Juvia to help you with whatever you need." Her face was resolute. "It may be _weird_ for some time, but it will pass and everything will go back to normal. I mean, it's not like we remember it all, right?"

Gray stared at her and saw the resolution on them. She meant it. He was confused again. Wasn't she supposed to be asking if it was going to happen again? Wasn't she supposed to be arranging the band to play at their wedding?

"Things will never be normal again, Juvia." Gray sighed. "We slept together…"

"And we don't remember. No one needs to know." Juvia took a deep breath. "We happened to be drunk and did something stupid. It happens." She shrugged. "It could easily have happened to another guy." She tried to sound nonchalant about it and Gray didn't like the sound of it. Not at all. He felt pain in his stomach and preferred to think that it was because he was hungry, nothing else.

"Does that mean… we're good?" Gray asked and Juvia smiled widely.

"Sure." The blunette nodded slightly. "Oh, if you find Juvia's phone, could you…?"

"I'll search back into my place." He got up from the couch, getting his white coat and so did she. "If I find it, I'll give it to you. It's probably hidden somewhere in my room. Don't worry."

"Thanks." She said and he nodded. There was a moment of awkward silence as they walked towards the door. Gray grabbed his satchel. "Before I go, can I ask you something?" When Juvia nodded, interested in whatever he was about to ask. Gray hesitated a little: he was going to be too direct. "I thought you wanted to have my attention in _that_ way…" Gray mumbled. "Why didn't you take the opportunity to…?"

"Juvia still does want your attention." No need to lie, since he was very aware of her feelings. "But… not when we were both drunk. Not when it was a mistake that we regret." She shook her head slightly. "It doesn't matter anymore, Gray-sama. Juvia assures you that she's alright and there's no misunderstanding of about what happened." He nodded. "But… would it be okay if we saw each other less this week?" He eyed in confusion and she smiled sadly. "Juvia's not _that_ strong, you know? She needs time to… put it all together."

"Juvia…" Gray started, but she raised her hand and he stopped.

"It has nothing to do with you, Gray-sama. Juvia's focus need to be in something else. Next week will be the finals, then your graduation and even though we agreed it isn't a big deal, and we agreed that would be awkward for a while, for Juvia it will be a little more difficult to really get over it." He opened his mouth to protest. "It will and you know it. We'll meet every day with our friends, don't worry. One week, it's all Juvia's asking. If things are too awkward after a week, we can talk again, okay?"

Gray hesitated, but agreed. She knew herself better. He opened the door and waved good-bye and she did the same. She waited until he was gone inside the elevator, before entering the apartment she shared with her friend. Once she closed the door, she closed her eyes and thought of all the half-truths she had to tell Gray that night. She was not an adolescent anymore, fairy tales were beautiful but she was not in one; she knew when to back off and when to go further. Gray just wanted to make sure she was alright, because he didn't want to lose her _friendship_.

"Well, Juvia," She mumbled to herself. "If even after sleeping together he still wants you _only_ as a friend, you just became the mayor of Friendzoneville. Yay me!" Juvia rested her head on the door and let the tears fall. She would cry that night, but the next day, she was going to put her usual smile and do her usual fan girl role. Things were not going to change.

Yet.

**#**

**AN**: Juvia was friendzoned _hard_. And yes, Levy calls Gajeel sweetie because he is cute and she has the balls to do it.

**Ages **(The relevant people for the story right now)

**Juvia, Lucy, Levy, Lisanna and Natsu**: 22 years old

**Gray, Loki, Cana, Elfman**: 23 years old

**Mirajane, Erza, Gajeel, Lyon:** 25 years old

I searched, and the average age for a person to graduate from College is 23, and Gray is graduating in a few weeks in this story. In the manga Gray IS older than Juvia: he's 18 while she's 17. Mira and Erza were the one that I added a year just because. ;)

Thanks to: **SereneButterfly23, YamixTeaLover, penguin trainer, NekoMaji, Destiny102, Cupcake-Lover-1374, Essence97, TAEMiNATOR18, JellalxErza, bliour , kokoro737, Theejay-sama, PattyPatt, superduperizee, Laury rose, Lavi-hime 4E -3, Gray-Mochi, krisannw, SakuraIchigoDark, Tamely, ke23, dreamy angel, Rakuen 94, TheRedSin, AliceCullen3, Seyrin, FairyTailxoLove, enzeroo86, Guest, Guests, Jessicutie, cybercorpsesnake **and** Meme-tan**, who reviewed!

Thank you all who wished me happy-birthday! *_* You guys are awesome! And for those who are wondering about The Duchess, I am having a major block, but I'll try to sit down and write it this weekend, okay? I mean, I do have a lot of the next chapter written, but then the block comes! Anyway, thank you all for the support!

01/17/13 ~ BonneyQ


	3. Bad Oysters

**AN: **I want some Juvia in the manga. I would settle with one panel. I miss my gal. T-T

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Three – Bad Oysters**

**#**

"_So while your sister or best friend might have sailed through her pregnancy without a single nauseous moment, you might be spending every morning (and afternoon and evening) hovering over the toilet_." – **Heidi Murkoff**

**#**

"We should _not_ have eaten those oysters yesterday." Juvia said, coming out of the bathroom, just to find her roommate, Gajeel Redfox in his best shirt, pants and shoes. His, mostly rebellious, hair was combed, and he seemed to be wearing his best piercings and even a tie. It was sweet of him to try to be his best when he was going to a fancy place with his girlfriend. Since she was pretty much a genius and had the brightest future in front of her and he was just the humble owner of an iron dumping. Juvia knew that the last thing he wanted was to make her feel embarrassed for him.

"I feel alright." Gajeel shrugged, but when he looked up to the blue haired girl, he frowned; she looked _so_ sick.

"Of course you do. With that stomach of yours you could eat iron and be fine." She said and when she caught his worried stare, she shrugged it off. "Juvia will alright. Those oysters are just messing up with Juvia's stomach."

"Well if that's the case, those oysters _are_ doing their jobs: you look like shit." Gajeel said and Juvia would've laughed, but she was afraid that if she did, she would get nauseous again.

"Way to talk to a lady. I just hope that you don't talk like that to Levy-san." She looked to the clock on their wall. "You go first; you are already all dressed up and Levy needs to be there early since she's one of the organizers, being so pro-active like she is." Juvia said and Gajeel was about to argue, but she talked first. "Levy-san is probably waiting for you. Don't worry; the nausea is almost gone now."

"How are you going, then?" Gajeel asked.

"Juvia will call Lisanna-san to pick her up." Juvia said, waving him off. "Everyone knows that she's always the last one to get ready and all I want is to take a quick shower, put my hair up and a little make-up."

"But…"

"Do you really think that Juvia would lose _Gray-sama_'s graduation?" She looked at him like he was insane and Gajeel gave her that: even if she was dying, she would be there for her long time crush.

"Fine." Gajeel got up and grabbed his hat and coat. Juvia thought it really suited him, even if he looked like a Mafioso. It was really nice to see him dressed up. Levy had begged for him to go to the Graduation with her and she must've promised him something real nice to make him go. "If you need, just call me and I'll pick you up. I bet I'll be eager to come back home when the old man starts to speak." He opened the door.

"What old man?" Juvia frowned, not getting what he was speaking about.

"There's always an old man giving boring speeches, Juvia. _Always_." Gajeel said, exiting the apartment and Juvia giggled. He was right. Juvia went to her bedroom to get her phone to call Lisanna, and as she had told Gajeel, the other girl wasn't even near to be ready.

Juvia sighed when the nausea disappeared; it was so frequent now. She was sick all the time and was also tired, especially tired to be sick all the time. The manager of the store she worked was a kind old woman that was worried about Juvia running to the bathroom all the time as well, but Juvia offered her excuses like: 'it's a stomach bug' or she was 'nervous about her scores at college'; all to keep the old lady to worry. And frankly, Juvia was beggining to get worried herself. She was not one to become sick. She couldn't recall when it was the last time she had a flu! Had she had to be stitched a few times? Sure. But she was never _sick_!

The woman stripped and went inside the bathroom again, to take a quick shower that time instead of bending over the toilet, and get ready to the Graduation. Besides Gray, her other friends Loki, Cana and Elfman were also graduating, so it was going to be quite a party and she was telling the truth to Gajeel: she wasn't going to miss it.

Even though things were still a little weird between her and Gray.

Sure, she had told him that it would pass, but five weeks later and they couldn't stay alone at the same place without one of them give some sort of bullshit excuse to go away as fast as they could. They were _not_ ready to return their previous status.

Gray knew about her feelings, especially after that night. The fact that they talked about her feelings for him, even in the slightest, was humiliating for her. Not because she was embarassed that he knew she loved him. That she could live with. His lack of response was the worse. He could've just tell her 'No, thank you'. Juvia would just try harder to make him love her without pissing him off, if possible.

The indifference was what broke a little piece of her heart day after day.

When he asked her about why she didn't persued him after their night together, and she had told him that that way was wrong, he just nodded and went away.

Gray trusted her enough to ask her that, but not enough to just tell her that he didn't want her in any way other than as a friend.

It was killing her.

Around their friends, they both tried to be as natural as they could, but they could see something happened and for once in the story of their little club, no one from Fairy Tail said a word about it and she was glad for it. But they were not going to be stopped forever from bringing it up.

It was difficult to had had the love of your life for a night, and then learn that it was all a mistake.

Things needed to get better soon, otherwise she couldn't see herself and Gray together in the same room ever again. Juvia shook her head and went to take the shower and speed things up. She was already late.

**#**

"It's so good to not be going alone." Lisanna sighed happily once they were both inside her car. "Elf-nii was so nervous that the shirt wasn't going to fit." The white haired girl laughed and Juvia giggled. It was hard to imagine a big man such as Elfman Strauss fretting over clothes.

"Juvia can't imagine that." She said and Lisanna nodded.

"Oh, yeah, he did. And I can't even begin to tell you how weepy he was when he thought that Evergreen's flight was going to be delayed! He was sad his 'woman' wasn't going to be there." The girls laughed with that. "But she'll arrive in time. They are such a cute couple."

Juvia felt a little jealous over the fact that Elfman and Evergreen had found each other, even when people thought they shouldn't be together, they ended up as a couple as they were supposed to. And both were adorable towards each other.

To say that Juvia was always hopeful to receive Gray's attentions was an understatement; but things got so awkward between them that she was losing faith that he would ever look at her, even though they already did more than that.

Inside Juvia's heart, she would always hope that Gray would look to her for more than friendship, but her head... Her head _knew_ that he was going further and further away from her grasp.

The only time he showed any animosity towards Juvia was when his friend/older brother figure/enemy was bothering Juvia. Her heart wished it was jelousy; while her head would tell her that he was just not letting Lyon 'have' nothing he had, like his _friends_.

To summon it all: it was a mess. Almost a greek tragedy; a soap opera. That was her life.

After a few minutes, as Lisanna continued to talk, Juvia's mouth started to water and she knew that she was going to get sick again: the fourth time that day and she was trapped.

"Stop the car." Juvia said and Lisanna looked to her friend confused.

"What?" Lisanna asked, but Juvia was already buckling out.

"Stop the car. Now." Juvia repeated, feeling her stomach turn. And when the white haired girl did stop her car, Juvia stepped out and gave four steps: it was the only time she had before bending over and letting whatever had left inside her stomach out. Oh, how she hated vomit. It was so gross, but it was all she was doing lately.

She heard a door close and a moment later Juvia could feel Lisanna put a soothing hand on her back and say something she couldn't figure it out. As the strangest thoughts appear on a person's mind when something like that happens ('aw, not on my new shoes' and 'thank god I pulled my hair up today' and 'I hope it doesn't get on my dress'), Juvia emptied her stomach all over a poor bush. After a minute or so, it was over. Juvia's breathing was fast and she straightens herself up, but she felt so dizzy for a moment that Lisanna had to catch her by the shoulders.

"It's alright." Lisanna kept telling her in a desperate motion. "You're gonna be alright, 'kay?" Juvia nodded and let herself be led back to the car, where she sat, feet out of it. Lisanna, after making sure that Juvia was stable enough; she opened the glove compartment and grabbed a bottle of water. "Here, drink it."

Juvia didn't want to drink anything. She had been avoiding putting anything in her stomach because she was afraid of upsetting it even more; but she did what Lisanna said and took a sip.

"Juvia?" Lisanna asked, after the blunette was stable enough.

"Sorry about that." Juvia said. "Juvia thought it was over for today."

"Over for _today_?" The white haired girl asked. "Has it happened before?"

"It's been happeninf for the past week." Juvia mumbled and after moment, she remembered where they were going. "Oh, the party! My shoes are dirty now…! And my make-up!" She knew that she probably was looking like a panda at that moment, she always tear up when she was throwing up and that was a hard one.

"Don't you dare talk about shoes and parties right now!" Lisanna said indignant. "You are sick, Juvia. We're going to the hospital!"

"What?" Juvia's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No. We're going to the graduation!" Juvia took the rest of the water in the bottle and quickly washed her left sandal, the one that was caught in the crossfire, well enough. "There we go. Juvia will redo her make-up once we arrive there. It's over, Juvia's not even nauseated anymore."

"That's because you just threw up. And not for the first time too." Lisanna ordered to Juvia put her legs inside the car and the blunette did what she was told. Once the white haired girl entered the car, she turned to Juvia. "We'll get you to the hospital, Juvia."

"No. We have to be there." Juvia protested. "Your brother…"

"Will understand. Don't you know Elf-nii? That is a man who was born to protect. I know my brother, Juvia. He would've wanted us to go to the Hospital. Besides, they're gonna record it." Lisanna started the car and in no time, they were in their way.

**#**

"…Yes, Mira-nee." Lisanna was talking on her phone. "We don't know yet. The doctor hasn't seen her yet." She waited while her older sister talked. "No, don't come over and tell no one." The girl glanced over Juvia, who was still looking too pale for her liking. "I know they would want to know, but Juvia told me that she doesn't want any fuss." Then, she turned and whispered. "Nee-san, I had to practically _kidnap_ Juvia to get her to the hospital. If she realizes that everyone knows and crush their happy night for something that is probably just a stomach bug, she'll be sad." She waited. "I know. Tell some cover story, like my car broke down. And if someone says that they can pick us up, tell that it's being handled. Don't fret anyone, alright? Pass the phone to Elf-nii, please?"

Juvia was feeling guiltier and guiltier by the second. It was probably just a stomach bug and she was making Lisanna lose her brother's graduation over it.

"Hey, Elf-nii. Sorry about…" Lisanna stopped. "Yes, she's fine now. The doctors haven't seen her yet." She smiled softly when she heard her big brother. "I will look out for her, don't worry. Sorry about missing the party." Silence as she listened, before giggling. "I know, I'll see the tape a couple of times by your side and squeeze a few tears." She listened. "Yes, it's almost time. Tell the others Juvia and I sent our best regards. I feel proud of you. I love you and good luck!" Lisanna was about to end the call, when she talked again. "Mira-nee, did you just steal the phone from Elf-nii?" A pause. "Don't worry, I will keep you updated. I'll call as soon as the doctor finishes..."

"What about me?" A young doctor entered Juvia's booth. He was in his late twenties or early thirties. His hair was blonde and long-ish. Juvia couldn't see his eyes. But altogether, he was a handsome fella and she would feel lucky to be being examined by him. But she was feeling so shitty and guilty that she was not only losing the party, but also making Lisanna lose it that she barely looked at the man.

"The doc's here. Call you later, Mira-nee!" Lisanna ended the call and smiled to the doctor. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright." He smiled kindly back to her, and then turned his attention to Juvia, who could finally see his green, kind eyes. "So, Miss..." He looked to his chart. "Lockser. I'm Dr. Tristan McKeena. What can I do for you today?"

"My friend is over reacting..." Juvia said and Lisanna rolled her eyes and took charge.

"She threw up today. We were going to a party as you can see," She pointed to her very stylish dress and then to Juvia's. "When she asks me to stop the car and then pretty much puts her guts out." The doctor was nodding. "She says, and I quote: 'Juvia thought it was over for today'. _Today_." Her blue eyes go to Juvia, who looks down in shame. Lisanna crosses her arms above her chest. "And when I ask how long has it been going on, she tells me: a week! A whole week and she doesn't tell anyone!"

"Looks like your friend here is quite protective." The doctor chuckled. "Have you experienced coughing during this time?" Juvia shook her head no. "Even though a nurse came earlier and got your temperature and it's normal, I gotta ask, have you been feeling feverish?" No again. "Alright, then. Let's take a listen, alright?" Juvia nodded and he took his stethoscope and then started examining Juvia, listening to her heart and lungs.

After the routinely movements, he said "Everything seems perfectly normal. I don't think it's the flu. Have you eaten anything abnormal these past few days?"

"Yesterday Juvia had oysters." Juvia informed him.

"It could have been the reason, if you hadn't started throwing-up a week ago." Dr. McKeena thought for a moment. "Miss, when were your last period?"

"Hm..." Juvia stopped to think. "Two weeks ago."

"I see." He nodded. "Was it normal?"

"No... It was less than it normally is. And it lasted a day. But Juvia's period is not that regular anyways."

"How about tiredness?" Juvia nodded. "Have you been going to the bathroom more often? You know, not when you are sick?" Juvia frowned, but nodded again.

"Miss..." He tried with caution. "Have you been sexually active for the past few weeks?"

Juvia blushed. Hard. "No!" And then Gray's face came into her head and she paled. "Wait... Yes." Lisanna stared at her in surprise. She was sure that Juvia would tell her if she had had sex. "Five weeks ago."

"Then ma'am, I think you have to take a pregnancy test." Tristan McKeena said and Juvia could only look at him like he was an alien. "We have a few here. I'll go get one for you."

He left the booth and Juvia continued to look to nothing with eyes wide open.

It couldn't be. Just _couldn't._

**#**

Both Juvia and Lisanna were waiting back to the booth. Dr. McKeena had given her the pregnancy test and while she went to the bathroom and peed on the stick, her friend waited. Neither had said a word since the possibility of her being pregnant came up.

Dr. McKeena was also there, waiting for the result. It took three minutes to know it and apparently, it was a calm night at the hospital and the doctor could wait with them.

When the minutes were up, the doctor looked to the test and Juvia realized she was holding her breath. She was so nervous, but strangely, her mind was blank and she felt numb.

"The test is positive, miss." The doctor said and Juvia's eyes widened. "You are pregnant."

Lisanna, put a hand on the blunette's shoulder and Juvia could barely feel it.

She was _pregnant_?

"But..." Juvia said and her voice rough as if she hadn't use it in years. "It can't be. Juvia's period..."

"You said it yourself: it was light. It's common to a pregnant woman to experience it, it's called spotting. It happens when the fertilized egg is implanted and is mistaken as a period very often."

"But... it was... only one time." She whispered.

"It only takes one time, miss." Dr. McKeena said. "I see that this was not a planned pregnancy, right?" He said kindly. "You should see an ob/gyn to know your options. If you want, we can go through them here..." Juvia shook her head. She was too numb to talk. "Okay. Now that we know what's happening to you, I'll recommend that you rehydrate as much as you can because you've been throwing up a lot." Juvia couldn't process the words, but Lisanna was paying attention for both of them.

"You are discharged now, Miss Lockser." He signed something on her chart. "But please, if you feel anything else, please come back. And find an ob/gyn as soon as you can."

Juvia nodded and Lisanna thanked the doctor and helped her up, seeing that her friend was too shaken up to do it herself.

**#**

"What are you telling Gray?" Lisanna asked as soon as they were in front of her apartment building. During the whole way from the Hospital to her place, they hadn't said a word to each other.

Juvia wasn't even surprise that the other girl guessed who got her pregnant: everyone knew Juvia was Gray's and no one else's.

"I'm not sure the doctor should've told _me_." Juvia mumbled and Lisanna sighed.

"Juvia... Do you want to come over my place? I know that Mira-nee and Elf-nii wouldn't mind..." The blunette shook her head.

"No, thanks. Go to the party and have fun." Juvia knew that she still could arrive in the middle of the party, which was probably going to last until dawn. "If someone asks, tell that Juvia wasn't feeling well. I just need... some time to think." Juvia said, waving her off.

"Juvia..."

"Please, go." The blunette eyes' pleaded for the other girl to do what she told. "Juvia will be alright. It's just too much right now and she needs to think. And sleep. Sleep a lot."

"Fine, but If you need me, I'm just a phone call away." Juvia nodded and stepped out of the car. "Tomorrow I'll come by, okay?" The blunette nodded and went inside her apartment building.

She had many things to think about and she couldn't wait to just sit down and really absorb what was happening to her life.

**#**

**AN:** Gajeel's all dressed up like in the colored page of chapter 312. I think he looks gorgeous and just misses a hat. :D

There we go, Juvia's officially pregnant. :)

Special thanks to: **cybercorpsesnake, Mareig, Angel the Neko, , NekoMaji, YamixTeaLover, Tamely, penguin trainer, Jessicutie, JellalxErza, superduperizee, Chibi Waru-Chan, Xeylah, PattyPatt, Puckabrina NaMi SoMa SasuSaku, bliour, yagami rin, krisannw, Gray-Mochi, Essence97, Cupcake-Lover-1374, SereneButterfly23, AliceCullen3, Guest, Meme-tan, Kagome Juh (**Go, Brazil! HUAUHUHA**), Seyrin , Shika, Rochi-Chan, xScarletxMoonx0 and DanielleFullbuster** for the reviews! I loved them all! *_*

Any thoughts?

01/22/13


	4. We Can't Go Back

**AN: ** YAAAAAAY! Juvia and Gray vs Chelia and Lyon. Oh, the epicness! My feeeeeeells! I want to see some Gruvia fighting style combo!

After chapter 316 and Juvia being, well… Juvia, I have to tell you before you all think that this is OOC: **people grow up**! Juvia and Gray are _not_ 18 anymore, they're older and wiser. I certainly changed a lot since I was 17. I'm trying my best to make them _in character_ even though they matured, okay?

I tried to make it as light as I could, but it is still a little dark. My PMS is getting in the way of my writing. T_T

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Four – We Can't Go Back**

**#**

"_Yes, I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all. It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now._" – **Need You Now **–** Lady Antebellum**

**#**

"This is so awesome!" Loki yelled above the loud music while Gray just laughed a little at his friend; he had a few to drink and was kind of 'happy' already. Loki had dragged him along to the dance floor and Gray made a note in his head to ask on of his friends who weren't drinking to take him home. He certainly couldn't take him in the back of his motorcycle while the other guy was drunk. He couldn't drive and pay attention to not letting him fall at the same time.

Besides, Loki was probably going to have a one night stand with some random girl anyways and arrive safely at their place the other day. It happened a lot.

Before he could say that Loki had to sit down for a bit, some red haired girl started to dance with Loki –there she was: the one night stand girl–, Gray was ready to return to the table he shared with his friends, a blond girl tried to start dancing with him.

She was hot, he gave her that. Curly hair, green eyes, full lips, had a very sizeable bosom and by the way she was twisting her body, she was very into him. But Gray declined it as kindly as he could, stepping back.

"Sorry." He yelled to the girl because of the music. "I gotta…"

"Come on!" She giggled and stepped closer to him again. "We only graduate once! Let's have some fun, Fullbuster!" Oh, so she knew him? He had so many classes with so many people, that he didn't know them all. That girl certainly wasn't in his circle of friends. "I had this crush on you since third year, you know? I couldn't make my move on you until now, even though I tried to approach."

"You did?" Gray was surprised. He didn't notice that.

"Every party, I would have a shot of tequila and try to talk to you. But that bodyguard of yours," The blonde said, still yelling to be heard above the music. "Julia, I think; she was always by your side. And since she's not here today, I thought that maybe…"

"Her name is Juvia." Gray said to the girl even though seemed irrelevant for her, it wasn't for Gray. "She's not here _yet_." He tried to explain. Mira had told him how Lisanna's car broke down when they were in the way and couldn't arrive until later. Gray accepted that; they couldn't catch a cab and leave the car, and Juvia wouldn't leave Lisanna alone in the driveway at night just to get there. It made sense, but still hurt, especially when they weren't on best terms. "She'll arrive in a few."

The girl smiled knowingly. "And you rather dance with _her_. I guess the rumors about you two _not_ being together weren't true."

"What? We are not…" He tried, but she stopped him. It was already a reflex for him to deny any relationship other than friendship towards both of them.

"Anyone can see that she likes you, Fullbuster. And here you are turning _me_ down and waiting for _her_." She giggled. "Many of our colleagues tried to make a move on me, your friend here included," She pointed behind her, where Loki and Red Haired Girl were already kissing. "but you are saying 'no' because you already have someone."

"I…" He mumbled. The girl smiled, she couldn't hear him, but by his expression said it all; he wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Go wait for your girl, Fullbuster." She said loudly. "Fortunately for me, I also had a crush on Kyle Mitt and he seems to be alone _and_ interested."

Gray nodded and turned to go away and went to find his friends. He had to pass through a lot of people to get out of the dance floor and when he finally did, to find his table was another quest. After a few minutes of searching, he finally saw something that lead him the right way: only Natsu had that especial shade of nasty hair color.

"Finally!" He said, sitting down beside Lucy, who laughed.

"You don't seem to be having the greatest time." She said.

"Loki's compensating, trust me." Gray snorted. "When I left, he already had someone's tongue down his throat, or vice-versa. I try not to think on the details."

"Good for him." Lucy shrugged and then slapped Natsu's arm. "At least _someone_ is out there, dancing."

"For goodness sake, Lucy!" Natsu said, trying to put his arms out of her reach. "You said it many times for me _not_ to dance in public because I break stuff! Usually someone's toe. Or leg." Gray nodded. When Natsu Dragoneel danced, bones were bound to be broken.

"I said: don't dance _alone_ around people!" Lucy rolled her eyes. "You can dance with _me_, though. I know you won't break my toe. _Again_."

"It was an accident." Natsu mumbled and looked down in shame. Lucy's eyes softened almost immediately.

"I know." She knew he would never hurt her on purpose in his life. The blonde got up and offered his hand to him. "Now let's dance." Natsu immediately got up, smiling widely. It was fun to dance, especially with Lucy. And with that many people squinted together, he could even feel her up a little bit. "And don't you dare think of feeling me up in public!" She warned him. "_Again_!"

"Aw, come on Lucy!" He whined, but followed her.

Gray sighed and stared at the empty table. There he was again, alone. If Juvia was there, she would've been with him and he wouldn't be so bored.

He cursed himself. When did she become such a strong presence in his life? When he had let her in so much? When did she become so close to him that her absence made him feel uneasy? He had known Lisanna longer than he had known Juvia, yet he wasn't bothered at all that she wasn't there. Sure, he was: they were friends, but not _nearly_ as much as he was bothered by Juvia not being with him.

She was always there; telling him to try his best, and helping him do his best. She was always seeing the best inside him even when he couldn't.

Even with all his finals at school and preparing for graduation he was thinking about how he wanted things to get back to how they were. He remembered of how they studied together, even when they were in different semesters, they would go to his place, order some Chinese food and stay awake all night long studying. Sometimes he studied his stuff, and she studied hers. Other times, she would help him out and vice versa.

Not that last time. She needed space.

And Gray had to give it to her. He knew very well what she felt for him and for her, the way they slept together, was like crushing all her hopes and dreams. All because he was stupid enough to agree to forget what happened. That was his chance. His chance to tell her they could try something. They worked just fine.

'Love' wasn't in his repertoire, but he liked her. And as he grew older, the more he wanted to have someone by his side, like Natsu had Lucy. They started out like it's supposed to be: as friends. A few years later and there they were, waiting a couple of years to get married and be together forever.

He and Juvia, though… She started out as his enemy…

'_Scratch that_.' Gray sighed every time the thought would come up in his mind. '_Gajeel and Levy are together. I can't use that card_.'

Even after being the biggest asshole in the world to her, Gajeel and Levy loved each other even after all the troubles. And Gajeel had bigger issues during his life, and even _he_ opened up enough to have Levy.

Besides, everyone noticed the strange mood between them. Of course, they were assuming that Juvia really confessed her feelings for Gray, opening his eyes to what was in front of him this whole time.

Erza took him to a corner one day and told him:

'_I don't know what happened between you two, but fix it. If you don't feel the same way, just tell her and let her go. If you do feel the same way, do something fast, otherwise she can get over you. She's not going to wait forever, Gray. And you know who's gonna be around when she gives up._' Of course he knew.

His 'elder brother' and first enemy; Lyon Vastia.

"Juvia-chan's not here yet?" Speaking of the devil. Gray sighed and looked to his left, where the voice came from.

"No, Lyon. She's not." He replied.

"Damn it. I thought she would be here by now." He sat beside Gray. "Why on earth would I be here tonight if it wasn't to see her?"

"I don't know. It's _kind of_ my graduation night and _You-Know-Who_ would kill you if you didn't come." Gray said sarcastically. "All the 'family sticks together' is getting old. It's not like we're brothers or something."

"I know." Lyon chuckled.

The dark haired man stared a bit his frenemy and Gray knew that if he pushed Juvia away for good, Lyon would be right there to catch her, but, unfortunately for the older man Gray had resolved his mind: that night, he was going to tell Juvia that even if they tried, things were never going to be the same again and they had to work it out. They could start having dinner together and see where it leads. They needed to go forward.

"Hey, isn't she the girl who Juvia was coming with?" The white haired man pointed and Gray turned to see Lisanna, searching for someone.

"Yes, it is." Gray frowned, if they were together, where was Juvia?

"Then Juvia-chan's here!" Lyon was already up. "But I can't see her."

Gray was too on his feet and walking towards Lisanna, who noticed both of them when they were close to her.

"Hey, Lyon! Gray! Congratulations!" She gave him a fast hug. "Now can you tell me where my brother is? I have to…"

"Wait, why are you alone?" Gray frowned. "Weren't you coming with Juvia? Gajeel told me that you two would ride together."

Lisanna visible paled and looked everywhere but into Gray or Lyon's eyes. Both men exchanged a look and immediately got worried. Juvia wouldn't miss her friend's party for no reason.

"What Mira-nee told you?" She eventually asked.

"That there was an accident on the way and traffic was slow." Gray lied. If his gut was telling him the right thing, something was not right. Not right at all.

"Yeah. _That_. Horrible thing. Blood everywhere." Lisanna was too nervous and he had known her for _years_. She was covering something. And it involved his... Involved _Juvia_. "It was a nasty, _nasty_ thing. Juvia… hm… she decided to go back home because… you know, it was taking too long and all the blood and I swear I saw some brain and..."

"Lisanna, Mirajane told us that _your_ car broke down." Lyon said kindly, because Gray was staring at the white haired girl with narrowed eyes. "Gray lied."

"Where's she?" Gray asked.

"Hm..." Lisanna looked up. She was _so_ hiding something!

"Lisanna." Gray practically snarled her name. "What really happened?"

"You know... Car trouble!" Gray stared: he didn't believe her. "Hm... Nuclear waste on the way?" His expression changed to irritation. "Alien invasion?" Lisanna saw him breathe in too much to control his temper. It was bad when the usually cool Gray started to get red with anger.

"She didn't want to come." Gray said giving a few steps towards the party and then returning. He looked like a caged tiger. "Juvia didn't _want_ to come?"

Lisanna knew that she couldn't fool Gray. It was Juvia, for goodness sake! Even with the new 'vibe' around them, she wouldn't miss the party. Not without a good reason. And god knows she had one.

"Gray, something… happened on the way." She couldn't say a thing more without breaking _the_ news. Gray stopped walking, Lyon and Lisanna staring at him with weary eyes.

"No. Something happened weeks ago. I am not having this shit anymore." He reached for his pocket and got his keys. "I'll talk to her. Today."

"What?" Lisanna asked, following Gray. Lyon tried to grab his arm, but Gray easily escaped. "No, you can't."

"Oh, I can. Watch me." He said and went to the valet to get his helmet back and while he did it, Lisanna tried to reason with him.

"Look, not tonight, okay?" The valet gave him the helmet. "She has something important on her mind." The three of them walked outside and Lisanna tried to reason with him as he walked over his motorcycle.

"Yeah? I have something important on my mind for five weeks too. We'll discuss and compare notes." He was going to put his helmet on, but Lyon stopped him.

"Gray, you are not yourself right now." The older man said. He was too worried about what would keep Juvia away from showing up that night. "It's almost two am. Whatever happened, Lisanna just told you that it's not a good night for her to deal with an angry you right now."

"Stay out of this." Gray snarled to Lyon. "This has nothing to do with you."

"It _does_ if you're gonna say hurtful things to Juvia." Lyon stepped closer to Gray, daring him to tell him otherwise. Lisanna was panicking a little. She couldn't stop a fight between those two by herself! "I'm trying to protect her."

"I won't do anything!" Gray said. "I am mad, sure. But I don't want to hurt her feelings; I want to set things straight. It's passed time." He put his helmet on. "I'll say it again: stay out of this. Juvia is _my_ problem. She'll _never_ be yours."

Hurt passed through Lyon's eyes and he stepped back. "You know what? Go. Have it your way. When you fall from the pedestal, I'll be there. Just go and make the process faster."

Gray sat on his motorcycle and Lisanna tried again.

"Please, Gray."

"Move it, Lisanna." He said, starting his bike. "Things will be resolved right now." And then he took off, as fast as he could. At that rate, he would be in her place in ten minutes instead in half an hour."

Both white haired people stared as Gray went away and after a moment, Lyon spoke.

"You should let her know that Gray's going. If her _problem_ is still in her mind, she should be prepared to deal with two, instead of one." He started to walk towards his own car: he had no reason to stay any longer.

Lisanna nodded and picked her phone to call Juvia. It was off.

"Oh, this is not good." Lisanna said to herself.

**#**

Someone was knocking on her door so hard that Juvia feared that it was going to break down. She fastened her robe around herself and went to see who it was. If she had been asleep, she would probably have a heart attack. But she wasn't able to sleep after the doctor's words. She had been thinking and the more she thought, the more she was feeling numb.

She opened the door and saw the last person she expected there that night.

"Gray-sama?" She asked dumbly. He had his helmet on his hand and seemed extremely pissed off. 'Oh, god. He knows.' She thought. "What are you doing here?"

He entered the apartment and when he reached the living room, he turned to stare at her. "You told me it would be fine after some time! You assured me that _we_ would be fine!" He threw his helmed on the couch.

"Gray-sama...?" Juvia was confused, he knew?

"No, don't interrupt me! Weeks, Juvia! You have been avoiding me for _weeks_. You and I made a mistake that night, but that shouldn't have affected our friendship! We both know that tonight was a moment in my life that I..." He passed his hands through his hair in frustration. That month was _so_ stressful, _so_ shitty and the night that he could make it right she didn't appear. '_Something came up_'.

"Gray-sama..." The blunette sighed. At least he didn't know about the pregnancy. Yet.

"You weren't there! When I was handed my diploma, I searched for my family. Everyone was there but you." He yelled and a voice inside Juvia's head told her that probably her neighbors could hear it all. "I searched for _you_ and you weren't there. Then when I ask if someone saw you, Mira says you were with Lisanna and that the car broke down and you were just running a little late. And then, Lisanna arrives and start to give me bullshit of why you weren't there!"

"Gray-sama, I..." She tried again, but he interrupted her again.

"And now, after weeks I have to come by you place at two a.m., after _all_ the silence, to try to understand what the hell is happening? Please, do tell what is that I do! I thought we were going to be fine! You said it!"

Juvia just waited that time when he gasped for air, he had to yell at her and take it whatever was inside his chest out. His face was red and he was breathing hard, but he had to take his frustrations away.

"And I missed you." Gray continued to yell, but at each word he was speaking lower. "For the last three years I've seen you almost every day and now, when we look to each other, we look away. We used to talk. Well, you talked and I listened mostly, but it was our thing! Now, you don't even come to my graduation. Is that what we turned out to be? Strangers?" He stopped the yelling and the color of his face was finally returning to normal. "I don't want you to become a strange." Gray almost whispered. "But we can't go back either…"

Juvia stepped towards Gray and put a hand on his cheek, her thumb caressing it. "Juvia told you the last time we spoke that she would be there for you whenever you needed her. That didn't change. She just needed her time to process what happened. And she did. Her goal was to have what we had back."

"But we can't go back." He whispered.

"No, we can't." Juvia took her hand away and whispered, looking down and Gray frowned.

"We can go forward…" Gray whispered, but Juvia didn't hear, absorbed on her own thoughts, choosing her next words.

"Juvia was ready to go to the party and try, Gray-sama. She even entered Lisanna-san's car. But… something happened today during the ride, Juvia found out something... _Big_. Life changing." She said.

"How big?" He eyed her with doubt.

"Twice as big as _anything_ you can think of right now that I can guarantee." Juvia sighed.

Gray was concerned, then. He could think of a few _very_ nasty things. "Are you alright? What happened?"

She stared at him for a moment. Oh, if only he knew. She bet that if she told him right there and then, he would faint, like she almost did when she heard about the news two hours before.

"Juvia's not telling tonight." The blunette shook her head, her blue locks falling over her shoulders.

"Anything I can help you with?" Gray asked. His anger was forgotten, concern taking over his being. Besides, she was willing to try too.

Juvia's eyes went from him to the window, where she could see the light coming from the streets. He had been so stressed out lately and had all that bottled up inside, while she also hadn't had the best weeks of her life. It was college pressure, pressure to be normal around their friends. Pressure everywhere.

And now she had the pressure of being pregnant and with no idea of what to do about herself, Gray and the baby.

The girl nodded and grabbed his hand; Juvia started leading him further inside the apartment. Gray was following her without really understanding what was happening but if it was to help her out, it was fine.

"Where are we...?" Gray stopped once they reached a closed door. "What's going on...?"

The blunette opened the door and what he saw took his breath away for a moment; it was her bedroom.

"Juvia..." Gray's throat was suddenly dry. The implication was as clear as it could get. "We already messed our friendship with that _one_ night, we can't..." Juvia let go of his hand and stepped inside, when she turned around, she was unknotting her robe. She let it fall and Gray could see that Juvia was just wearing shorts and a very thin shirt. Gray gulped. It was hard to think. It was getting harder to breathe. _Everything_ was getting harder, by the way.

"At this point, it doesn't matter anymore." The girl tip toed and kissed his lips lightly. Gray took a sharp breath. "If the last few weeks were half as stressful for you as they were for Juvia, you need a breather. And if Gray-sama knew how the last couple of hours have been for Juvia, you would want _her _to have a breather too."

"But our friendship…" Oh, how _gay_ that sounded? There was a hot half-naked woman offering him sex and he just had to sound like a goddamn queer who cared about their friendship. He wanted to go forward with her, but that? It was insane. It was too soon…

"It's not your friendship that Juvia wants tonight. She wants to forget the world for a moment." The girl kissed his jaw and Gray's heartbeat was so loud that he was sure she could hear it. "And Juvia wants _you_ to make her forget."

"What happened, Juvia?" Gray asked, his hands on her hips, their noses touching each other's. She was acting so strange.

"Maybe Juvia can tell you in the morning." She said as quietly as she could while she was waiting for Gray's decision. "It's up to you now."

Gray stared at her deep blue eyes and tried to find something in them to make him back off but found none. Actually, she was lacking the sparkle she always had in her eyes and maybe that was her sign of the 'few bad weeks'. Besides that, he could see that her eyes were darkening as she looked down. He looked down as well to find himself taking off his tux. Apparently, his body was acting on his own.

Once the coat was off, Gray took the tie; he had already loosened earlier while he was yelling at her, off.

They stared at each other for a moment before Gray grabbed her by the waist, bodies colliding together. He leaned to kiss her, but stopped just before he did it.

"This is _not_ drunken sex. We know exactly what's gonna happen." Juvia nodded, impatient with his speech. "I don't know what yet, but this _does_ mean something." Gray said. "We'll figure things out in the morning." He finally kissed her.

**#**

**AN:** Oh, bollocks. This story is **losing control**; not even _**I**_ know where the hell this came from! I thought of a completely different scenario and _**this**_ appeared while I was writing. Right now, you guys know just as much as I do. :O Please gods, don't give me a block. Not another one.

Will she tell him in the morning? I don't know! Will she run away again? I don't know! Will he stay after their second night together? I don't know! Will he leave? I don't know! I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.

What the _hell_ am I thinking? *bashes her head on the wall over and over* These fingers of mine just do what they want! Blame them for the soap opera thingy going on, alrighty? :)

Oh, well. If anyone read this 'til here, I'd like to give special thanks to: **Yukistar, Seyrin, NekoMaji, GruviaForLife, cybercorpsesnake, AliceCullen3, DanielleFullbuster, Theejay-sama, , TAEMiNATOR18, ke23 , xScarletxMoonx0, Essence97, Xeylah, Rainbows-and-Rainclouds, YamixTeaLover, SereneButterfly23, Chibi Waru-Chan, superduperizee, Cupcake-Lover-1374, Tamely, yagami rin, Kagome Juh , Angel the Neko **and** Jessicutie**! Thank you! :D

01/25/13


	5. One Step Forward

**AN: **A little OOCness here, but please, bear with me for a while. I want to make a point.

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Five – One Step Forward**

**#**_**  
**__"Loving__ you replaces all my worries with happiness._" – **Unknown **

**#**

Juvia was the first one to wake up the next morning. But that time, she wasn't confused, nauseated or with a killer headache and she knew exactly where she was: she woke up with Gray's arms around her. Juvia knew exactly how they ended up in that situation and she smiled. She had had the most wonderful night she had in a very long time and that time, she could remember it all.

That night it wasn't a couple of drinks what led them to spending the night together; it was mutual need, mutual feelings. They had missed each other.

The blunette carefully removed his arms from her, even though she really didn't want to. When she looked to the watch that was on her nightstand, she sighed. Five a.m. She had fallen asleep not even half an hour before. She and Gray were very enthusiastic towards each other that night and she bet that if they weren't so sleep deprived, they would still be…

Her face became red and she sat on the bed, her hands covering her face as it became redder and redder once she remembered what they were doing.

Once again she looked over her shoulder and saw the magnificent man she had been with and that time she knew it wasn't a dream. He was there for her. _He_ had chased after _her_.

And they were supposed to talk about what happened that morning.

All the redness of her face was suddenly drained and she was paler than ever. Her hand fled to her stomach where she knew a new life was being created at that very moment. What should she tell him? She had knew about her pregnancy for what? Less than six hours?

Pulling the covers off, Juvia found her robe on the floor, right next Gray's pants, and she put it on as fast as she could, tying the knot and without glancing back, she left the room and closed the door as quietly as she could so the man on her bed wouldn't wake up. Gajeel seemed to not have arrived yet or he had spent the night at Levy's.

Juvia leaned over the door of her bedroom and sighed. What should she do? He had finally, after three years, told her that he could be feeling something for her and now with that pregnancy…? What would that do with his feelings? What if all she fought for…?

She had to sit down for a bit. Once she had a moment to think, she would come up with some kind of solution for it all.

The girl gave two steps before her vision become dark and she had to seek balance by leaned on the wall. Her legs felt weak and she had to take a few breaths when her stomach started to feel weird again. As soon as she could, she went to the small bathroom she shared with her roommate and bent over the toilet, praying that Gray didn't hear her.

**#**

Gray frowned in his sleep. It was weird, he had been warm a few minutes before and now he was cold. Usually any raised warmth would make him uncomfortable, but that time it felt the opposite. He wanted the warmth back. He patted the bed to grab Juvia and make her return to the function of his special heater.

The bed was empty and Gray opened his eyes as soon as he realized that.

He sat on the bed and sighed. And people said that he had trust issues; that girl couldn't stay in bed with him even after that night. At least it was her apartment; she could've left for all he knew but one day she would have to return and he was in no hurry.

In fact, despite the fact that Gray woke up alone and slept only an hour max –as he could see when he noticed her watch– he hadn't felt that great in ages. Maybe it had something to do with having sex with Juvia. Twice.

It was one of the most amazing experiences he ever had, really. At first it was all about their needs, so it was fast and dark: they only wanted to get closer and closer because both had missed each other during the past weeks. But when they were just lying together, Juvia had giggled and kissed him.

That sound made his heart flutter inside his chest. And just like that, they both laughed for nothing and then kissed each other, like it was something they did every day.

Gray grinned to himself and decided to get up. He found his boxers and opened the door of the bedroom and got out. He walked over to the living room, where he indeed found Juvia, sitting on the couch and looking towards the window.

"Do you always get up this early or is it only when you wake up next to me?" Gray asked half joking when he stepped into the living room. Juvia turned around from her spot on the couch and offered him a smile. She had a cup in hands and she put it on the center table.

"Juvia's an early bird." Gray walked over and she moved so he could have enough space to sit beside her, which he did. She didn't tell him the fact that a wave of nausea and half an hour bending over a toilet were involved in the earliness of her awakening. "She enjoys watching the sun rise."

The blunette pointed to the window, where indeed the sun was starting to show itself. The sky was losing its darkness and it had some shades of orange and pink. It was a pretty view. It was lucky that the buildings around hers weren't high enough to make it a problem about seeing the dawn.

"That's why Juvia loves this apartment so much." She mumbled and unconsciously, Gray's arm circled her shoulders; she rested on him, as they both fell into silence.

Both watched the sun rise in silence while thinking about what to do next.

Of course the thoughts were completely different from one another; he was thinking of what the next step would be, while she was thinking about what to tell him about the pregnancy.

"What do we make about last night?" Gray asked and Juvia looked up to him.

"No idea." Juvia whispered and he frowned. He thought that she would jump on the assumption that they should start wedding plans.

"Keep up with the one night stands?" Gray asked after a few seconds, but didn't like the idea.

"Is it what you want?" Juvia asked, glancing again towards the window.

"No." Gray said after some time. "It may be good enough for other people but that would be wrong for us." She nodded; her gaze still on the window. "Maybe we could... Do something else."

"Like what?" She seemed so far away, like her mind wasn't totally into that conversation. And for a moment he was concerned, but pushed that thought away.

"I don't know." His ears reddened. "Maybe a more… _conventional_ agreement."

Juvia's heart skipped a beat and she couldn't even breathe. If that was going where she thought it was going, she was going to be the happiest girl in the world.

"Like...?" She asked moving her eyes away from the window, but she didn't look to him, she focused her stare on the cup of milk she was previously drinking. If he wasn't going into the direction she wanted him to, she didn't want him to see the disappointment all over her face.

"Like... Going out. Like normal people. Go out to have dinner. Watch a movie." The guy was utterly interested in her ceiling, Juvia could tell, by the way he was staring at it. His cheeks were colored in a light pinkish tone and she couldn't believe her eyes.

"We do that already." Juvia knew she was pushing her luck and at any moment Gray could get up and go away from her exactly like she did when they first woke up together naked and in the same bed.

"Yes, we do." Gray nodded, finally staring at her. "But what I mean is... We do it differently now." Juvia turned to look at him.

"Like... Dating?" She pushed again and was prepared to see him leave, and she was certain that this time it would happen, because he opened his mouth too fast...

Gray was about to tell her 'no' by reflex –she had been asking for dates for so many years now–, but stopped himself before he did. He looked to Juvia in his arms and it felt right. It was the most complete he had been in months. Besides, Gray Fullbuster was no sissy. He could admit his feelings. A little bit.

"No, not _like_ dating. Dating."

Juvia's eyes widened in surprise. She thought that he would never say anything like that in her whole life. Actually, she thought that even if they got married, Juvia was certain that he would still introduce her as 'Juvia' not his 'wife'.

Passed her surprise, Juvia smiled widely as she could and then used both her hands to bring his face close to hers, giving him a very long kiss. He was surprised at first, but was reciprocating it as soon as he realized what was going on.

Before either could see, Gray was lying on the couch and Juvia was on top of him, legs in each side of his hips while they kissed with passion. Oh, she was in cloud 9! Not only they had a very passionate night together, but Gray was telling that they should try dating.

_"You are pregnant."_ She remembered what the doctor said and she froze and then pushed him away, surprising not only him, but also her. They stared at each other with surprise written in both of their eyes.

"Hey… Are you alright?" Gray asked concerned, because if he wasn't mistaken, Juvia was getting paler and paler by the second. She was in a sitting position now and he followed her lead and also sat. Their faces were only a few inches away from each other's.

"Juvia has to tell you something." Juvia mumbled. He waited, but she didn't say a word.

"About...?" He asked, frowning. And then she sighed and hid her face on the crook of his neck. Then he remembered. The night before some kind of problem appeared and that was what kept her from going to his graduation. She had told him that she was going to tell him in the morning. "Is it about the something you found out about last night?" He felt her nod, his arms tightened around her waist. "You can tell me what it is, you know?"

"Please, not today." She murmured and Gray was taken back of how much the situation changed in just a few seconds.

"Hey, calm down." He said softly, caressing her back. "You don't have to tell me nothing right now. There are some things that we can only say to others when you are ready." Juvia sighed in relief. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. You can tell me when you're ready." She nodded and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Can you stay today?" Gray nodded and she smiled.

"I thought that we agreed on… dating." The last word came out a little strangled, he had to get used to say the word if they were going to really do that. "Going out to eat and stuff…"

"Juvia has food here." She shrugged and he laughed loud bringing her closer to him so he could kiss her, it cheered her up a few hours back and he could definitely try then… He untied her robe and had every intention of letting things go further, but before he did more to her breasts than set them free, something he didn't expect happened.

"What the _fuck_…?"

Gray and Juvia looked towards the door of the apartment and saw Gajeel standing there, door opened, just like his mouth.

Juvia was the first to recover and she put her robe around her chest once again while Gajeel covered his eyes with his hand and Gray was just looking at Gajeel in surprise. He had totally forgotten that the guy lived there as well.

"Shit, Juvia! I sleep on that couch sometimes! What the hell are you two doing…?" Gajeel kept yelling, his eyes covered by his hand. "Don't answer that!"

Juvia had buried her face on Gray's chest again. Passed the shock, Gray hugged Juvia to hide her form even more, even though he was pretty sure Gajeel wasn't looking.

"Jeez, Gajeel! Don't you knock?"

"This is _my_ apartment!" Gajeel yelled. "Sorry if I thought it was alright for me to get inside without seeing Juvia have her way with you in _our_ couch. Which is going to be burned now. Thanks Stripper!" Gray was about to talk again, but Gajeel interrupted. "I should've gone with Levy to her place, but no! I had to be a fuckin' good friend and come back home to see if you were better because you can't answer your damn phone, Juvia. Apparently, I was worried for nothing."

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia said glancing towards her friend and getting off the top of Gray and sitting on the couch, while Gray grabbed a pillow to cover his lower half, not that he was naked, but because things were tense down there.

"Look, I'll go to Levy's." He turned around to leave. "When I come back, you better not be here, Fullbuster! Or I swear I'll torch you along with the couch!"

"We didn't do anything!" Gray said and yelled, when Gajeel closed the door after him. "Yet!"

"Argh!" They heard the groan from outside and as soon they heard the many cuss words Gajeel was saying stop, both Juvia and Gray looked to each other and Gray laughed.

"I can't believe you are laughing!" Juvia said slapping her lightly on the arm, getting up from the couch and tying the knot on her robe tighter.

"Sorry." He said watching as she went to her bedroom. "It was funny."

"No, it wasn't!" Juvia said as she entered the room and kept the bedroom's door opened so Gray could hear her. "He saw Juvia on top of you, Gray-sama!" If it was another girl who had seen him, Juvia would be glad, since she would be 'marking her territory', but her best friend –the closest thing she ever had to a _brother_– was something else entirely!

"I thought you would be more concerned about him seeing your breasts." Gray stopped laughing and saw when she returned, with her phone in hands.

"He had seen them before! The part where we both were almost having sex on this couch is what embarrasses Juvia!" She said and she started dial her friend. "Gajeel-kun?"

"Wait, what do you mean he saw them before?" Gray asked, getting up and standing next to her, while she waved him off.

"Juvia is _so_ sorry!" The blunette said on the phone. "She knows. But please, don't put acid on your eyes." She paused. "Or stab yourself on the eyes to erase the image. Juvia is so sorry…" She stopped and Gray could hear some yelling and Juvia blushed. "Sorry." She stopped again. "Yes, Juvia will repay you. How does an apple pie every time you want for the next two months sound?" A pause. "Okay, it's a deal then. And no torching the couch! Nothing happened." She blushed. "No, it wasn't because you interrupted us!"

"Yes, it was." Gray said loud enough so Gajeel could hear.

"Gray-sama!" Juvia said and the dark haired man walked towards the kitchen to find something to eat. Apparently, he was going to stay there for the rest of the weekend. Once he was away enough of her, she whispered to the phone. "Gajeel-kun, could you please tell no one about seeing Juvia and Gray-sama together?"

"_Why? I thought that _you _would be telling everyone the moment that guy even kissed you_." He snorted. "_You two were more than just kissy on _my_ couch._"

"Please, Gajeel-kun. No one must know. Not even Levy-san." She whispered in a hurry and Gajeel paused for a moment.

"_What's going on, Juvia_?"

"Please." She said calmly begging and heard him sigh.

"_Fine. I won't tell, but you better tell me later what's wrong. This is not like you_." He said. "_I don't like it_."

"Thank you. Bye."

Juvia ended the call and checked her phone, just to see that Lisanna had called her five times and Lyon two. She frowned in confusion. Gray returned from the kitchen and saw the frown in Juvia's face and asked what was wrong.

"Lisanna-san called Juvia five times and texted about nine. Lyon-san also called."

"Oh." Gray looked guilty. "I kind of stormed out and they were worried I would say hurtful things to you. I should probably apologize." Juvia didn't know what happened, but at the mention of Lisanna's name, she started to read her texts.

'_Juvia, Gray's going to your place right now! He'll arrive soon!_', there were about four just like it and a few '_Are you alright?_' but the last one was the one that made her tremble inside.

'_Did you tell him?_'

She glanced and saw that Gray was heading towards her bedroom to get his own phone and she quickly texted the white haired girl back.

'_No. Please, don't mention it to anyone. Juvia is fine. He was here but left. You don't need to come over, Juvia will stay in bed all day. Talk to you later, okay?_'

Gray returned to the living room as she sent the text and saw that Gray was also texting someone.

"I'm telling Loki that I won't be going home tonight. He probably wouldn't even notice, since I'm pretty sure he'll be pretty hammered." The man shrugged and put her phone beside hers above the center table.

"So, you are staying." Juvia got closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Yes." Gray nodded. "That couch is not going to be _burnable_ alone."

Juvia laughed and once again let her problems slip from her mind. Everything Gray did was making her delay the inevitable: finally understand that she was pregnant. But she just wanted some time with him before the mess. Was it too bad that she wanted to enjoy what she had while she had it?

She wasn't going to tell him that weekend. That weekend was theirs alone. Without any complications.

That weekend, she only had _him_.

**#**

**AN:** Okay, let me explain… I want to show how Gray and Juvia's relationship can be when they're older and I want a more open Gray. I know he's a little closed up most of the times, but I want it to change when he's around Juvia. Besides he just had sex and is in a _very_ good mood.

**Sorry if I let anyone down.**

And, next chapter, things will heat up. Plus, there's a BIG surprise.

Thanks to: **Mareig, enzeroo86, Guest, DanielleFullbuster, Random fangirl, Essence97, NekoMaji, yagami rin, pewpewmew, , Jessicutie, AngelLips23, cybercorpsesnake, TAEMiNATOR18, AnimeFreak992, YamixTeaLover, Chibi Waru-Chan, wakamehime530, Yukistar, Cupcake-Lover-1374, superduperizee, Seyrin, krisannw, Tamely, Guest, AliceCullen3, Lavi-hime 4E -3 **and** Angel the Neko**! Thank you guys so much! ;)

01/28/13 ~ BonneyQ


	6. Two Steps Back

**AN: **I have a pot of chocolate here with me and I ain't getting up until this and next chapter are done!

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Six – Two Steps Back**

**#**_**  
**__"__Running away from problems or troubles will make you fall into another problem or trouble_." – **Unknown**

**#**

"You _have_ to tell him." Lisanna said as the blunette closed the door of the Antique Store she worked. Since it was summer, the old lady who owned went on a trip to stay with her son, and left Juvia in charge. Usually Juvia worked half day, but she was in her own vacations and she would work full-time until the old lady was back.

"Juvia will." She sighed and after locking the door, she turned to the white haired girl. "It's just... Juvia doesn't have an idea of what to do."

"I know. That's why you two need to talk. This is not your burden alone, Juvia." Lisanna said as they started to walk down the street to catch the bus to go to Juvia's apartment, and when Juvia didn't reply, Lisanna sighed. "I'm messing with things that it should be you to deal with, but I made an appointment for you at the Woman's Center."

"What?" Juvia stopped and half yelled.

"Look, you have to see a doctor, Juvia. Evaluate all the options you have." Lisanna stopped too. "I know that you seem to think that you and Gray are alright, but you need to face the fact that you are pregnant!"

Juvia felt her eyes burn as tears threatened to fall.

"That has been the best week Juvia had since she can remember." The blunette said, a few tears falling.

She and Gray had been secretly dating for the past ten days. The only ones who knew what was going on were Gajeel, Lisanna and Loki. Gray had agreed with her to not tell everybody just yet. Their 'thing' was too new to be displayed like that.

They had been in one date; Gray had taken her to see a movie and have dinner. It was her dreams coming true. They laughed, ate and even made out a little.

But she knew Lisanna was right. She had to know her options and she had to tell Gray. She was entering her seventh week and she wasn't that into pregnancies, but she knew that at some point, she was going to start showing.

"When is it?" Juvia asked.

"Tomorrow, during lunchtime so you can close the shop and go." Lisanna gave Juvia a hug. "I'll go with you if you want."

"Juvia would like that." The blunette murmured to her friend and hugged back, drying the tears. Hormones, she guessed.

Maybe at the Woman's Center she would finally clear her mind.

**#**

As she was sitting on the bus, in her way to Gray's apartment, Juvia thought about what she was about to do; finally tell Gray about her pregnancy. It had been 4 days since her appointment with the doctor at the Woman's Center and she had used all her spare time to think about the options.

She had three, really. First: have the baby and keep it. Second: have the baby and put it to adoption. Third: terminate the pregnancy.

To options two and three, she learned that it had some rules she had no idea it existed. She didn't know that if she _did _put her baby to adoption, she had thirty days to decide if that was what she really wanted and within that period of time, she could reclaim the child if she wanted.

And option three, she was only legally allowed to have a termination until the twentieth week. She was now around her eighth week and still had time if she was to do it.

First, she had to talk to Gray and see what he wanted to do and then ponder it all. Maybe things would work it out. Maybe…

Juvia looked down to her covered stomach and even though everyone said that she was pregnant, and she felt the symptoms, like the nausea, tiredness and tender nipples, she didn't feel pregnant. She didn't feel that magic bond she heard of. She felt normal, just a little weaker because she couldn't keep much in her stomach.

Maybe she wasn't supposed to be a mother. Maybe that's why she didn't feel a difference. Maybe if she did have the child she was going to be a terrible mother.

The bus stopped and Juvia got up from her seat to get off of it. She would walk a block and be at Gray's and then, they could decide. He had the right to know and participate of the decision, although she already had a hunch of what they would want to do.

**#**

"Hey, Juvia." Loki opened the door of the apartment with a big smile. He knew about the hidden relationship about Gray and Juvia and was actually enjoying having her around. One night, she had stayed and cooked. Cooked! Neither Gray or himself knew what the hell she put on it, but it was the best soup they ever tasted. "Gray's in his room."

"Thank you, Loki-san." Juvia smiled politely and Loki lost his own smile almost immediately, seeing that she looked very troubled.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concerned. It looked like she hadn't slept in days. And since she hadn't appeared in days, it also concerned him. Loki always thought that at the very moment Gray and Juvia would start dating, he would be kicked from his own apartment and it didn't occur, of course. But since the 'secret dating' started, Juvia and Gray had met every day, only those last four being the exception.

"Yes. Juvia just needs to talk to Gray." She said and he nodded. Loki had a bad feeling about that.

Juvia went to her boyfriend's room and knocked once and when she heard him saying it was okay to come in, she stepped inside.

Gray was sitting on the chair in front of his desk, using his laptop and when he looked up and saw Juvia, he gave her a smile.

"Hey, Juvia!" He didn't have time to get up because before he did, Juvia had wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss. Gray was taken by surprise for a minute there, but kissed her back.

"Hi." She said after breaking the kiss. Her hand was caressing the back of his neck.

"Hi." He said it back, a little confused. They hadn't seen each other that much that week and truth be told, they made out a _lot_ during the short time they were dating, but she never threw herself like that to him. Something was up.

"Juvia has to tell you something." She said before losing courage and Gray frowned. She sounded so serious.

"Okay." He pointed to the bed, where she sat and he brought his chair closer so they could talk face to face.

"It's about why Juvia lost the graduation." Gray nodded. Was she finally going to tell him about what happened? Sometimes the girl had a very distant look on her face and he knew that she was thinking about whatever problem she had, but Gray didn't want to push it; he had told her that she could tell him whenever she was ready. And apparently she was. "She had been _sick_ for a week before the party."

Worry replaced his curious expression.

"_What_?"

"Yes." Juvia nodded. "Juvia thought she was fine to go to the graduation, but during the way, she got sick again and Lisanna-san witnessed. So, she convinced Juvia to go to the hospital..."

"Wait, wait... _What_? Were you in a hospital that night?" Gray's head was spinning. What the hell was happening?

"…when we got there, Juvia found out _why_ she was sick." She continued like she hadn't been stopped.

"Why? Oh, god. Are you dying?" Gray was afraid to ask, but he did anyway. Was she going to die? That was it. They had just got together and she was going to die. She took one deep breath and Gray prepared himself mentally to what was coming.

"The doctor said that Juvia is pregnant." She continued to talk, but fell to empty ears. Gray frowned. So… no one was dying? That was good. Right? At least she wasn't dying. But a baby would grow inside of her. Hm… "That first night we slept together, that was when Juvia conceived." Hadn't they used protection…? Never mind. They were so drunk that Gray was surprised he had put everything where it was supposed to go. The consequence of one stupid mistake was a baby. Alright. A baby needed a lot of stuff, though. He was going to be a father at the age of 24. No, he was going to be 25 when the kid was born.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia was biting her lower lip in apprehension. Gray had been quiet for quite some time.

"Pregfffnt." He tried to say, but Juvia understood anyway.

"Yes."

Whoah. Wait. Hold on a second! Was he going to be a father?

"Ohmygod." He got up from the chair and started to walk from one side to the other inside his room. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." What she was telling him was finally sinking in. "A baby?" He passed his hand through his hair. "It means that you are having a _baby_!"

"Yes." Juvia nodded, seeing him panic and she hated that. Gray Fullbuster didn't panic.

"So… _I_'ll be having a baby too." He stopped and turned to look at her. "It's… a baby! We can't take care of a baby." He shook his head. And then something else popped into his mind. "Wait, you have known since my graduation party?"

"It's complicated, Gray-sama." Juvia tried to talk to him, but he interrupted her.

"I was there that night, Juvia! You could've told me!" Now he was getting angry. He hated being lied to or deceived in any way. "You should've told me the moment you knew!"

"Juvia had just found out about it!" The blunette got up from the bed. "Do you have any idea…?"

"You. Should. Have. Told. Me!" He yelled in anger. "You let me believe that everything was fine, when you were hiding this big secret from me!"

"You told Juvia that she could tell you when she was ready…" She reminded him.

"Because I had no idea there was a _baby_ involved in any of this!" He was frustrated.

"But there _is_ a baby involved in this." Juvia said rather harshly. "And regardless of any of our feelings, there's a baby on the way! And we need to decide what to do with it!"

"Give me time to think, okay?" Gray had so much on his mind. How could raise the child? They had been together for what? Less than two weeks and now she was pregnant. "I just learned about this!"

"Juvia went to see a doctor at the Woman's Clinic." She informed Gray. "She informed all the options. Based on all of this, Juvia already made a decision."

"Good." Gray nodded. At least someone had a plan, because so far, he was trying to figure it out where he would put the baby in his apartment. "What is it?"

"Juvia will... terminate the pregnancy."

**#**

"You..." Gray was surprised. "You'll have an..."

"An... abortion, yes." She nodded and Gray stared her in shock. "Juvia was already thinking about it and…"

They stared at each other for a few minutes until Gray's brain finally started to work again.

"Don't _I_ have a say in this?" Gray asked quietly, barely a whisper. "You just decided it on your own."

"What else should I do, Gray-sama?" Juvia's eyes were watering. "I have a scholarship! How can Juvia have a baby? It's the last semester and… this is my future in this college!" Juvia stood up, but Gray grabbed her arm.

"That's a petty reason to end a life!" He brought her closer to him. "Then why did you tell me in the first place? Why didn't you do it? I would never know."

"Because as strong as Juvia is, she is not strong enough to have this burden all for herself." Juvia yelled and untangled her arm from him. "What else can we do? Have the baby and then what? Take it with me to class? I work, I study!"

"And _me_? What about me?" Gray yelled back at her. He didn't want her to have an abortion, but he wasn't being the most communicative guy of the planet. Things weren't going well. "_I_'ll be there for you!"

"You said it yourself that we couldn't take care of a baby." The tears were flowing at that point. "Juvia wants to think that she won't be alone again, but no one in Juvia's life lasts long enough! So, in the end, I'll be left with a child I can't support, alone and without a diploma!" She sobbed.

"Juvia..." Gray looked at her, like he never saw her before. "Is it that _practical_ for you to end a life?"

"No." Juvia said quietly sobbing. "It would be a _lot_ easier if it was."

Gray could see her suffering, then. The bags under her eyes, the fact that she looked a lot thinner, the lack of the spark in her eyes, the unnatural paleness. She looked like hadn't slept in days

She was _suffering_.

"Juvia." Gray calmed down. "What's the real reason why you want to have an abortion?"

"The scholarship..." The blunette tried, but Gray interrupted her.

"_Don't bullshit me_. I know you." He yelled. "You wouldn't even _consider_ this without any good reason!"

"This child was made during a mistake. We both agreed that it was a _mistake_." Juvia yelled back, still crying. "It feels like it's some twisted way to bound you to me forever. Juvia wants _you_, but not like this! It doesn't feel right." She untangled herself from his grasp.

"Juvia…" He tried, but in the end, he let her go.

"There's nothing else to talk about right now." The blunette left his room without even look back and Gray didn't stop her. He needed to think. He had to wrap his mind around the fact that he and Juvia had made a baby and that baby might not even be born.

Gray lost track of time as he just stared at the door. He didn't even hear when Loki knocked; only when the orange haired man opened the door that Gray snapped out of it.

"Hey, man." Loki frowned. "What was all that about?"

"Juvia…" Gray said, looking around him. "We had a fight."

"Oh, _that_ I got it." Loki replied. "Hard not to when you were yelling to each other. I never thought I'd live to see the day when Juvia yelled back at _you_."

"I need to…" Gray was a little out of it with all that happened. Juvia was pregnant, they had been in a fight and now he was… numb. He had to talk to someone. He stared at Loki, who was looking at him warily. No, he couldn't tell Loki, not yet. "I'm gonna go upstate." Gray found his backpack and started to put a few clothes inside it.

"What?" Loki asked, surprised. "Don't you wanna fix things with Juvia? I mean, it's been only a few weeks, but you guys are dating…"

"I know." Gray yelled and Loki raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sorry. I just… Need to go away, okay? I'll be back tomorrow. I need to clear my head."

"What did you guys fight about?"

"I'll tell you when I get back." He zipped his bag and Loki nodded. "If Juvia…" He sighed. "If Juvia returns, tell her that…"

"You'll call her as soon as you return, gotcha." Gray grabbed his wallet and stood, looking at the wall for a moment. "Hey, are you sure you are fine to go?"

"Yes." Gray snapped out of it. "If Juvia calls…" He repeated.

"Don't worry, man." Loki frowned; his friend seemed too out of it. "Clear your head, or whatever. Maybe you should call her later."

"Yeah." Gray nodded and went to the train station. He had to talk to someone.

**#**

After the four hour train ride, Gray was tired of thinking about what to do with having a pregnant girlfriend and what impact it had in his life. He just wanted to go home and sleep, but he knew that it wasn't going to happen as soon as he opened the door. He got his keys and turned the knob.

"Mom, I'm home." He yelled as soon as he got inside.

"I'm here, kid." He heard from the kitchen and he went after it, where his mother was standing. Her hair was still short and she had a few wrinkled around her eyes. She was, obviously just wearing some shorts and a tank top. She lived up north, but for her it was still too hot of a summer there. She was fonder of winter, just like her children.

"Hi, Mom." Gray said, putting his bag on the ground. "What are you eating?"

"Ice-cream, of course. This heat is killing me." Ur shrugged and offered him a spoon, smiling. "Now, how about you tell me what is troubling you?"

**#**

**AN:** Oh yeah, people will throw stones at me after this one. ;O It's happening so fast. I promise you we'll know more about the time Gray and Juvia spent together!

Anyways, I told ya it was big. Juvia's terminating the pregnancy **AND** Ur's alive. How about that?

Thanks to: **Guest, superduperizee, YamixTeaLover, MiniKoreanKitty, Darkhope, AliceCullen3, Angel the Neko, SakuraIchigoDark, DanielleFullbuster, NekoMaji, Random Fangirl, , TAEMiNATOR18, Jessicutie, amyskywalker, Summer Eclair, Xeylah, cybercorpsesnake, Uchiha Evangeline, Ushiio, ke23, Chibi Waru-Chan, jennylawson, Yukistar, FairyTailxoLove **and** Cupcake-Lover-1374**, who reviewed! Thank you so much!

I based the things about the Woman's Center with a few USA laws I know. I don't know if they are still the same, but in this story, in **Fiore**, that's how things are, okay?

BTW, I'd like to highlight **xScarletxMoonx**, who showed me some of her drawings. They were wonderful, darling. You should really publish it somewhere! I loved it! *3*

01/31/13~ BonneyQ


	7. Don't Have to Have

**AN:** I know abortion is a sensitive matter, but Juvia's _terrified_ of having a baby. I told you that it is different from 'The Baby Problem', where she didn't even considered ending her pregnancy even if it could kill her. This Juvia lives in the real world, and she is a college student and has to work to pay her bills and study to keep her college grades up. I'm trying to make this as realistic as I can, alright?

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Seven – Don't Have to Have**

**#**_**  
**__"Knowing that you're always welcome, no matter how much has changed; that's what having a home is all about." _**–****Oerba Dia Vanille, Final Fantasy XIII**

**#**

After helping his mother eat the ice cream without actually talk much, Gray and Ur went to the living room and sat on the couch and the older woman was staring at her son and when he looked up to her, he was fast to avoid eye contact as soon as he saw her looking at him. It was a very delicate subject what he had to tell her.

"Oh, what did you do?" Ur narrowed her eyes. She knew her boy and he was acting like he killed someone and had to hide the body. And as far as she knew, _that_ was the case.

"Why do you assume that I did something?" Gray asked, very interested in the floor.

"Because you do _not_ come to my house at this hour and in the middle of the week" He mumbled something like 'It's Friday, not the middle of the week' and she ignored him. "because you feel like it. I know my kids. Usually you've done something bad and listening me yell at you helps you out." She shrugged. "Okay, just tell me what you did so I can scold you and go take a very nice and long shower and go to sleep." Ur crossed her arms under her breasts. "I was about to take off my prosthetic leg." She raised her right leg to show him the leg and she saw a bit of pain pass through his face, but it was gone. At least the pained expression didn't last as long as would've been before.

"Hm... Maybe I should tell you _after_ you take it off." Gray looked to the other side of the living room.

"Oh, so this one is a chasing-to-kill-you scolding. It's something big, then." Ur nodded in understanding. "Tell me and be ready to have your ass kicked."

"I..." Gray hesitated.

"Out with it, Boy." Ur rolled her eyes and waited without much patience.

"I... I had a one night stand and I got someone pregnant." Gray said and stared at his mother. He said it vaguely like that so his mother could really give him a scolding; he had to be called an idiot a few times to feel better.

Ur blinked once, then twice, then one more time.

"You. Stupid. Brat!" She yelled, Gray ducked a pillow and both got up. "You _impregnated_ someone? Did you forget about protection? Don't you remember of our very _awkward_ conversation about protection when you were fifteen? You never, ever sleep with someone without protection! You could've gotten a disease! AIDS, syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, getting someone pregnant! Wait, you actually accomplished the last one!" Her face was becoming redder by the second. "When I get my hands on you, you little prick, I'm gonna..."

Then they walked around the living room for about twenty minutes: Gray running from his mother while she ran after him, cussing and telling how stupid he was.

When she finally sat down on her favorite chair, sighing, Gray stayed in a safe distance from her, and very aware of his surroundings in case he had to run again. He didn't need a beating.

"How did you let this happen, Gray?" Ur sighed; she rested her face on her hands. "I raised you better than that."

"We were drunk." He said. "She had always been... affectionate towards me and we got _crazy_ drunk..."

"Okay, I get it." She held her hand up so he could stop talking. Ur really didn't have to know about her son's sex life. "Do you even know her?"

A pause.

"It's Juvia."

Ur raised an eyebrow. There was a name not uncommon in that house. _All_ of her children had mentioned it fondly more than once, actually.

"Juvia?" She asked and he nodded. "_That_ Juvia?"

"Yes." He sighed. To his surprise, Ur smiled.

"Oh, boy. This' gotta be nice."

"What?" Gray was confused. Wasn't his mother mad at him just a moment before?

"You never introduced me to this girl. You _intentionally_ kept her away from me all those years, even after I asked to meet her. Now, she's having a little _you_. And now I have to meet her, because she will be the mother of your kid! Oh, and just think how happy Meredy's gonna have a cousin!" It was scary for Gray to see his mother so optimistic. "And there's Lyon. Christmases sure will be fun around this house again." She chuckled to herself and Gray only watched her in amazement.

"Mother...?" Gray was expecting a scolding, not his mother so happy about it. Ur noticed that and sighed, losing the smile.

"Okay, getting someone pregnant was a stupid move Gray. Really. And was it a one night stand, you said?" He nodded. "Stupid_er_. But at least she's not someone you never saw in your life and you don't know; she's your friend."

"We kind of started dating a few weeks after that night. A few days ago." He mumbled and Ur thought: well, not so bad. "And now I don't know if we are even friends anymore."

"What happened?" She frowned in confusion. She had been hearing about Juvia for the last three years, the friendship couldn't end like that. Sure, it was awkward, but not hardly enough to end their bond like it was nothing when clearly meant something for both of them. And at the moment seemed that they were more than just friends.

"She lied to me." Gray said. "She didn't tell me she was pregnant. She started a relationship with me knowing that she was pregnant and then... She _chose_ not to tell me." He proceeds telling his foster mom what happened between them during the time since the one night stand. How he had missed her, how she lost the graduation and how they decided to take it to the other level. And how she had told him about the pregnancy and how they ended up yelling at each other, making him go to his mother to seek some kind of guidance.

"The way I see it, you are more concerned about the deceiving than with the kid on the way."

"A baby wasn't in any of my plans for now or the next 10 years, but if it happened, I'm fine with it. It's a challenge, sure. But... People younger and less resourceful than me do it, so I can too." He paused and glanced towards his mother. "She told me abortion was on the table."

Ur nodded in agreement and Gray got pissed. Why was she agreeing with Juvia's crazy plan? "I lost my parents to a murderer 15 years ago, and now someone else is planning on killing another person with my blood! Do you agree with her?"

"Yes, right now I do!" Gray was about to argue, when the woman interrupted him. "Hey, hey. Take off your dress, end this little tea party and quit the whining, princess!" He raised an eyebrow and listened to her scolding: that was the reason he went to her in the first place. "Gray, you are a smart kid. You said it yourself that she found out about the baby the night of your graduation. You told me that you arrived not two hours after she received the news. What did you want? The girl was probably in shock. I bet she didn't expect it either. And when she's feeling confident enough to tell you about it, you _yell_ at her? You two didn't sit and talk, you _yelled_ at each other like infants. Of course she's thinking of all scenarios! Some girls can do it without a father in the picture, like I did with Ultear and some girls just can't handle being single moms."

"What about _me_? I told her I would stick around." He argued back.

"Gray, she told you about the pregnancy and instead of going after _her_ to talk; you spent four hours in a train and came to talk to _me_." Ur said and Gray's face became pale. "You already didn't stick around."

"Wait, no… I had to think about…" Gray tried to defend himself. Ur waved him off.

"Sure, but you have to face it, kid: men don't always do what they say they will do." Ur saw his expression of surprise. "Don't give me that face, you know it's true. I know you are the exception; one of the good ones. But as far as I could gather about Juvia, is that she have been alone most of her life, right?" Gray nodded. "Maybe she's not used to have someone who promises that won't leave and really doesn't." She shrugged. "If you are really staying by her side, you have to stay by her side." The woman eyed Gray and gave him enough time to think before talking again. "You two don't _have_ to have this baby, Gray." He stared in confusion and Ur sighed.

"As much as I'd love to have a grandchild, _your_ child, to rotten silly, you said it yourself that you and Juvia just started dating. If she does terminate the pregnancy, she can get pregnant again when you two think the time's right, not just because you have to have this baby." Then they were in silence for a long time while Gray absorbed her words before Ur talk again. "You are not the bad guy here, kid. Neither is she. It was a shock for both; hell, _I _am shocked and I'm not the parent! You two are handling a stressful situation in the way you can. I don't know why she didn't tell you right away, but you'll never know if you yell at each other every time you two try to talk." Gray looked up to his mother. "She may even make decisions she'll regret."

"What do you mean?" Gray asked, but he knew what his mother meant.

"You know what I mean." Ur said, shrugging. "She can have an abortion for the wrong reasons and even keep the child for the wrong reasons. The concept of good and bad are relative here, Gray. You have to understand all the sides. And you… you know that _you_ may want this baby for the wrong reasons."

They stayed in silence for long minutes and Ur searched what else to say, but got nothing. As much as she wanted to protect Gray, her son, from the world and heartache, she had to face that he was no longer the seven-year-old she adopted. Gray was a grown man who had to make his own mistakes to learn. And that meant that she could only guide him so far and let him sort the rest by himself.

"Go to your room, kid." Ur pointed to the stairs. "Go and think. You don't need my opinion; you know I'll back you up to whatever you decide to do. I just ask for you to _really_ think about all of this, and all scenarios."

Gray nodded and kissed her on the cheek while she smiled to him. Once he left and was upstairs, Ur let out a sigh and prayed those kids made the right decisions for both of them.

**#**

Gray didn't sleep that night. He lied on his childhood bedroom, looking to the ceiling and thinking about how his life would change with a baby. How would he help Juvia up when he also has to work for a living? How could he ask her to stop her own college to have the baby?

Was she being selfish? Was _he_ being selfish? Were the two of them right and wrong at the same time?

Why did that have to happen when they finally understood each other? Right when he finally had the guts to confront his own feelings.

Gray knew that they were not as deep as her feelings, but he did care for her. After three years, he could say it that he indeed liked her a lot and he could really see it get deeper and deeper.

The blue haired girl had been always there for when he needed her and she had even been tangled into some of his own family dramas, as like when Ultear and Meredy went bananas. She was the one who had almost died, putting herself in the way of the pink haired girl when she decided she wanted to kill Gray, yet somehow saved not only her own life, but also Meredy's; which Gray was incredibly grateful for: the girl was a cute little thing when wasn't getting homicidal.

Gray had made his mind when the dawn was coloring the sky with pink and orange.

Once he had his breakfast with his mother, he would go back to Magnolia and talk to Juvia as soon as he could. Both of them had had time to cool off and think. They only had to talk to each other, like they used to.

**#**

Gajeel was staring at his roommate while she petted Pantherlily, his black cat. The animal was very fond of Juvia and while he was like a little feisty tiger with Gajeel sometimes, it was quite a kitty when Levy, Juvia or Wendy were around him. The cat had a soft spot for girls. Or he just liked the blue of their hair.

Either way, he was being petted and loving it, while Gajeel stared at them; the cat was on her lap while the girl was doing the petting without really putting her mind in what she was doing.

Her eyes were glassy, as if she was about to cry. And he was sure that the Fullbuster bastard had something to do with it. Juvia wasn't one to cry over nothing. Only he would have such effect on her.

Since the day before she had been light headed and that morning she burned pancakes. Not that he minded much, Gajeel ate it just fine, and the strange thing was that Juvia never burned anything. She was meticulous with food. And until that moment, she had totally forgotten about lunch.

Juvia didn't just forget about lunch. Not during the weekend, when they ate together.

"Hey, Juvia." Gajeel said and the woman. Barely moved; she made a sound so he could know she was listening. "What about lunch?"

"Oh." She said, absent minded. "Juvia's not feeling well. Maybe we should order pizza."

"Sure." Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "When will Stripper come over, so I can leave? I don't want to see what I shouldn't."

Juvia tensed visibly and even stopped the petting on the cat, which looked up in question, just like Gajeel was looking at her confused. Usually she would happily jump into any subject that involved her boyfriend but that time she was tense to say the least.

"Gray-sama..." She mumbled. "We had a fight. Juvia doesn't know when he'll pass by."

"What was the fight about?" Gajeel asked and when Juvia didn't answer, he frowned. "You have been secretive about you two going out and now you two had a fight? I thought we had no secrets."

"Juvia's not ready to talk about it." She said.

"Yes, you are." Gajeel went to stand in front of her. "You have been all secretive and I don't like it. I don't know what's going on and that pisses me off!" He half yelled, not because he was angry, but because he was frustrated with her for not telling him whatever it was bothering her. "Is it something dangerous?" She shook her head 'no'. "So tell me!"

"Gajeel-kun, please." Juvia murmured and looked up to him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Juvia will tell you when she's ready."

The man had an internal battle; he knew that she would tell him if he pushed a tiny bit more, but at the same time as he wanted to know whatever was bothering her he didn't want her to be sad for it. He sighed and kneeled in front of her.

"Fine." He said after looking into her eyes. Whatever it was, he knew it was something she had to deal with before letting him know. "Just promise that you will be fine, because you don't look fine." She opened her mouth and closed, hesitating. Gajeel saw that and narrowed his eyes. "What was that?"

"Nothing." She shook her head lightly and started petting Lily again and the cat started purring as the girl did so.

Gajeel got up. "I don't like this." He said it again. "You have an oversharing nature, Juvia. When you don't tell me something as important as whatever you have in your mind right now, you make me mad, you know that." She nodded but said nothing else. Gajeel sighed in defeat. If she didn't want to tell him then, it was fine –it wasn't, he was still mad at her–, and he was going to wait for her to tell him.

"What flavor of pizza do ya want?" He picked his cellphone and Juvia smiled a bit to him and he felt a little better. At least she was smiling. But he would keep an eye on her, just in case.

**#**

Juvia heard her cellphone buzz on the nightstand. She sat on her bed to see who it was; she wasn't really in the mood to talk. Once she saw who the caller was, she nearly had a heart attack.

'_Gray-sama'_, she read, but really had no reason to. The cellphone showed a picture of Gray that she had taken without him realizing and as far as she was concerned, it was the best picture of him she ever saw. He was bare chested (no surprise there), the sun was in his face and he had the most wonderful smile. She had taken that one during a soccer game the boys played once and since then, it was his caller ID on her phone.

She hesitated, but grabbed the phone and accepted the call.

"Hello?" She said quietly.

"_Hi_." Gray's voice made her feel butterflies all over her stomach, as it always did. At least that didn't change.

"Hi, Gray-sama." Juvia had a small smile on her face; despite of it all he still made her feel like a hopeless little girl waiting for her prince charming.

He hesitated to talk, she could tell. "_Can I come over?_"

"Gray-sama…" Juvia sighed. "It's…"

"_You know we have to talk about… _it,_ Juvia._" Gray said.

"Where are you?" She asked looking at the clock on her nightstand, it was a little past seven pm.

"_I just arrived home. I have to take a shower and I can be at your place in twenty minutes, max_." He said, fast.

"Okay." She sighed. They had to face it whatever they had to face it and move on, with or without each other. Maybe he was coming over to end things with her; and at that point, she just wanted it all to happen so she could suffer and try to move on already. Her life was so messed up. "See you in a bit, Gray-sama."

"_Yeah._" He said and Juvia had the feeling that he wanted to say something else, but he didn't. "_See you in a bit, Juvia_."

The blunette stared at her phone for a full minute, wondering what was that all about and decided to get up from bed and take her own shower before he arrived. She was looking like hell and the last thing she wanted to add to her image in his head was: dirty little deceiver.

She took a deep breath; she had to face him and the consequences of their acts. All of them.

**#**

**AN:** Gotta say: I don't know about you guys, but I just loved how Ur came out. And next chapter, the confrontation between Juvia and Gray. What's that gonna bring? :O

Special thanks to: **cybercorpsesnake, Essence97, Uchiha Evangeline, pewpewmew, Seyrin, animegirl115, Yukistar, Kira, AliceCullen3, Yuki Brunestud, Angel the Neko, SakuraIchigoDark, Tamniin, superduperizee, Darkhope, Jessicutie, xScarletxMoonx0, yagami rin, amyskywalker, AngelBaby5643, Summer Eclair, Chibi Waru-Chan, krisannw, YamixTeaLover, Ushiio, Esthellar, , Cupcake-Lover-1374 **and** Tamely**

02/04/2013** ~ BonneyQ**


	8. In Need of a Hug

**AN:** After video chatting with my BFF, my small block is finally gone, so here's the next chapter!

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Eight – In Need of a Hug**

**#**_**  
**__"Because, if you don't believe in even the possibility of magic you'll never ever find it." _**– ****Richard Castle**

**#**

As Juvia was trying to find something eligible to put on, she found herself beginning to get more and more anxious with the why Gray was going to her place. Of course, she _knew_ what they were going to talk about, but she was concerned about the end of it. The last conversation they had wasn't all that great.

The blunette stared at herself only in her underwear on the big mirror that was hanged on her closet door and she frowned lightly. She, then, turned sideways and she couldn't see herself pregnant. Of course that she knew that she wasn't going to wake up with a stomach the size of a watermelon, but she didn't feel any different.

She put a hand over her flat stomach and tilted her head to the side. It was hard to believe that there was a life there. _Really_ hard to believe, actually. A piece of her and a piece of Gray, mixed together. What could that possibly result? Maybe a boy that looked exactly like him; or a girl who would have only Juvia's hair color. Or maybe, whichever child they had, would have a mix of them. Maybe…

Shaking her head, Juvia quickly returned to her task of finding something to put on before Gray arrives in a few minutes. She found one sleeveless summer dress and put it on, leaving her hair loose. It looked good enough. After looking herself in the mirror again to check on her looks, she grabbed her phone and exited her room.

"Gajeel-kun?" Juvia knocked on his bedroom door and when she heard him telling it was okay to come in, she stepped inside his room. "Hi." She smiled to him; he was reading a comic book she couldn't identify. She decided to let him know about Gray's visit before he saw the guy in their apartment. It was safest that way. "Hm... Just want to let you know that Gray-sama's coming over."

"What?" Gajeel was surprised. "Didn't you two have a fight?"

"Yes. That's why he's coming, you know, to figure things out." She told him, sitting on the bed next to him. "But Juvia doesn't know if it's gonna work out. She just wants you to know that he's coming. Last time we... kinda started yelling, so don't worry if it's what happens."

"You two start yelling and I am barging in." Gajeel shook his head. As if he was going to just let Gray Fullbuster of whoever else yell at Juvia. Gajeel didn't like that many people to have one of them getting harassed right next to him without him stepping in.

"Thank you, Gajeel-kun, but it won't be necessary." She shook her head lightly that time. "Don't worry. Gray-sama would never, _ever_ hurt Juvia. _Especially_ now." Gajeel frowned in confusion. What was happening that was so special? "Just... Let us talk, alright? Besides, Juvia can take care of herself." She smiled with confidence and then stared at him softly. "Juvia will tell everything later on, okay?"

"Do you promise?" Gajeel said after some time eyeing her. He knew that Juvia kept her promises.

"Yes." The blunette nodded.

Gajeel sighed. "Fine." He lied back on his back. "But if my gut tells me to just knock your door down, I will. Get it?"

"Yes." Juvia nodded. "Thanks, Gajeel-kun." She leaned and kissed his cheek while he rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the comic book.

"Whatever." He shrugged and looked to her lap, where her cellphone started to ring. She looked down and both of them saw Gray's picture. "Your stripper is calling."

"Don't call him that." Juvia hit him lightly in the arm before answering the phone. It was a little bit true that Gray was often found with less than recommended clothes, but it was just because he had a faster metabolism than others so he was hotter than other people. "Hello?" She sighed, hearing him. "Okay, Juvia will open the door for you. Bye." She looked and pointed to Gajeel. "You: behave."

"When don't I?" He grinned as he saw Juvia get up from his bed to get the door for Gray and he also got up, following her. As if Gajeel was going to let that Stripper just think that he was fine with whatever was happening, even though he had no idea of what was going on.

When Juvia opened the door, he saw her lean on the doorway and frowned. "Whatcha ya doing?"

"Gray-sama said that he was coming up. Juvia's waiting." She shrugged.

"You're desperate, that's what you are." Gajeel said under his breath and when he saw her body tense, he knew that Gray had arrived. So, Gajeel went to stand next to Juvia, just in time to see the elevator door closing. Gray was standing in the middle of the hallway, awkwardly.

"Hi, Juvia." Gray said, looking to Juvia and then to Gajeel. "Hey, Gajeel." The older man just grunted in response, making Gray frown. 'Did Gajeel know?' his eyes asked Juvia and then she shook her head 'no' the guy visibly relaxed. He had no idea of how Gajeel would react with the fact that Juvia was pregnant. He could beat the crap out of Gray or he could cry a fucking rainbow. The guy was not exactly mentally stable.

"Come on in, Gray-sama." Juvia pushed Gajeel away from the door –which he was blocking with his body– and Gray did exactly that, still receiving a funny look from Gajeel. "Let's go to Juvia's room so we can talk with privacy."

"Sure." Gray nodded and when he was about to pass by Gajeel, the man grabbed his arm and made him spin, they were facing each other. Gray was suddenly very aware that he could end up fighting Gajeel in the next minute.

"Listen to me, Fullbuster." Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "There are not many people that I like in this world. I tolerate many, you included, but there are very few that I actually care about." Juvia was trying to push them away from each other, with horror explicit in her face. "Don't forget that if you give Juvia any more shit, I'll end ya."

"I'd like to see you try." Gray retorted. He knew that the other man was just protecting Juvia, but his male pride was demanding him not to back off.

"Stop, both of you!" Juvia was saying, but fell into deaf ears.

"You think you can handle me, boy?" Gajeel snarled.

"I sure can." Gray retorted and Juvia was sure that they would actually get to it right there and she couldn't have that, so, only a thing came to her mind to make at least Gray to stop the upcoming fight.

"Oh, I'm not feeling well." She put a hand over her stomach and stumbled back, as if she was about to faint.

The effect was immediate: both men looked at her with concern and run towards her and when Juvia saw that they were no longer fighting, she straightened herself and grabbed Gajeel's ear and then Gray's, but not too strong, just enough to keep them on their toes.

"Okay, you two! Stop fighting!" As the two grown men complained and tried to get free, Juvia kept talking. "Gajeel-kun, Gray-sama won't do anything, so stop trying to pick a fight." She looked to her boyfriend. "And you Gray-sama, you can't just accept a fight like that! Juvia cannot go under a lot of stress right now." She let them go.

"Ouch." Gray said, grabbing his ear.

"You little son of a bitch!" Gajeel was rubbing his ear. "I was trying to be nice!"

"Thank you, but there's no need to worry, Gajeel-kun." Juvia said and grabbed Gray's hand, so he would follow her to her bedroom. And before they disappear into the room, Gray turned around and showed Gajeel his tongue.

"One day I'll kill ya, Stripper!" Gajeel yelled, still rubbing his ear.

**#**

"Sorry about that." Juvia mumbled, looking down to the floor ashamed of Gajeel's behavior. "He's just worried."

"It's fine. He's just looking out for you." Gray shrugged and they fell into silence for a minute, before Gray spoke again. "How are you feeling?"

"Morning sickness' kicking in hard." Juvia murmured. "And it doesn't happen only during the morning, I can tell you that."

"So _that_'s why you went to the bathroom all the time." Gray realized it, feeling really dumb for not making the connection sooner. "I just thought you were retouching your make-up or something."

"Juvia was. After throwing up like she does, no make-up can really stick on her face." She shrugged and went to sit on her bed. Gray hesitated, but sat beside her. The uncomfortable silence returning.

"I had some time to think, Juvia." Gray said, looking to his girlfriend. "But before we can really settle this down, I have to know why you hid it from me for so much time." The woman tensed and her gaze didn't shift from the floor for a while and didn't answer. "Juvia, this is a valid question and you know it." Gray said, trying his best to not get impatient with her. She was under a lot of stress.

"Because Juvia couldn't handle the truth just yet." She mumbled after a minute. "All her dreams were coming true and… she couldn't face it."

Gray nodded, he didn't fully understand her, but he knew how it felt to have a pregnancy thrown on your face like a fast ball and having a hard time believing and coping with the fact that the baby in question was conceived during a night of drunken sex.

"Okay. But I'm your boyfriend now, Juvia. Remember?" Gray said calmly. His goal that night was to talk to her like an adult, not like an 'infant', like his mother said he was. "You can't keep me in the dark about something big like that anymore."

The blunette finally stared at Gray with a frown on her face. "You are not breaking up with Juvia?"

"I don't quit when things get tough." He said with kindness and then as if a bulb of light suddenly appeared on top of his head, Gray realized that she was indeed expecting him to end things with her. "Wait. You thought that I would break up with you for getting pregnant?" She offered him a shy shrug and Gray was genuinely surprised. Did she think that low of him? "Juvia!"

"Sorry." She apologized, turning her body to face him better. "It's just… everyone knows about how Juvia feels about Gray-sama and Juvia heard people saying that… that Juvia would do anything to keep you with her. And what better reason than to get pregnant?" Gray was just looking at her like she was crazy, the things that passed through the woman's mind… "Juvia got scared that she… might… lose… you…" She murmured the last words. "And after having you, losing you would've been…"

"Okay." Gray said after some thinking. "We have to work on your self-confidence and your trust on me."

"Juvia trusts Gray-sama!" She said in a heartbeat.

"Not with something this big, you don't." He shook his head lightly. "You have abandonment issues, I get it. We'll figure something out later." Gray sighed. "We need to talk about the baby, Juvia."

"I know." She murmured. "You are probably wondering why Juvia wants the abortion."

"Yes, I am." He nodded.

"The thing is..." Juvia said, returning her gaze back to the floor. "Juvia doesn't know how to be a mother. She wants kids, of course, but… Juvia's twenty three. What does she know about having a baby? All her experiences with a child are with Asuka. Plus, there's college and the scholarship. And money. Juvia doesn't have enough money to have a baby right now. And, and, and…" She stuttered. "And… It's not the best timing in our relationship."

Gray let the words sink in in his mind and then nodded. "I see. I understand that, Juvia and those are good points. But what is missing in you plan is me." He pointed to himself with his thumb. "First, I don't know how to be a father either. Always thought I would be at least thirty before knocking someone up, but here we are. You could help me to be a good dad and I can help you being a good mom." Juvia looked up to him. "Second, there's not a rule in the rulebook of the University that says that you can't be pregnant and neither has your scholarship. They can't take it away because of a pregnancy." He continued. "And you would be what? Seven months along when the semester's over. You could go to your classes without a problem until then, I think. I've seen some pregnant girls in my classes." Juvia thought about that. It was possible. "Third, money. You forgot that I am here and I'll support you. I have most of the money my parents left for me in their will still on my account. It's not like I'm rich, but it's quite enough for some time. Besides, you have your job and no one can fire you because you got pregnant. And about the timing in our relationship… at least we have one. It's early, but nothing we can't handle."

"You really thought this through." Juvia sighed and Gray nodded. He had thought much about it. "Gray-sama… May Juvia ask… why are you fighting so hard for Juvia to keep the baby?"

"When I talked to my mom, she told me to consider all the options and I am telling them to you so you and I can make a decision with all the facts in hand, so later we won't regret." Gray sighed and took her hand. "I am just telling you that it is possible to have the baby, that we can make it word if we decide to have it."

"What about our jobs?" Juvia asked him, giving his hand a tiny squeeze. "You'll start working crazy hours for a long time, now that you have a new job and Juvia has a job too. With a baby, the stress will be much worse. And what will we do with it while we are working?" Juvia asked.

Gray actually chuckled with that. "I had only a night, Juvia. I can't have all the answers with just one night." He sighed. "I am just letting you know that there's always a way."

"It's…" Juvia gulped. "It's everything beautiful when said like this, but reality is different, Gray-sama."

"I know, Juvia." Gray said. "It won't be a fairy tale, but we can do this. All I want is for you to do like me and just consider the possibility of having it."

"Juvia has an appointment at the clinic Monday morning before work." Juvia said and Gray was quickly alarmed. "No, not for _it_. It's not that fast. Just a consultation they make the woman have, to tell here about the procedure and make sure it is what she wants and that she considered all the other alternatives." Gray relaxed. "If we need to learn about all the possibilities…"

"Fair enough." Gray nodded in agreement. Deep down, he understood her fears because he feared the same things. Maybe that consult would be an eye opener for him and they could make the final decision together.

Juvia stared at his face for a minute and then asked: "Do you _want_ the baby? Really want?" She mumbled.

He hesitated to answer. "I thought about it a lot tonight. Yes, I do want it. But only if _you_ want it." Gray said. "Juvia, we didn't communicate yesterday. I got surprised and angry. I wasn't thinking and I went to my mom's so I could do it and I did. I do want this kid, but I don't want you to have it just because _I_ want it. We _both_ have to want whatever child we may have now or in the future. One of the worst things in the world is to have a parent that doesn't want you. So, we have to want the baby. And I meant it when I said that I would help you, that you wouldn't be alone."

He stopped. "Monday morning I'll go with you so we can learn our options better. But whatever we decide to do, whatever _you_ decide to do" He looked deeply into her eyes. "I have your back. I'll back you up to whatever you decide to do." Gray quoted his mother and it seemed right to do so at that moment. "Before anything else, I have your back."

Juvia let her tears fall and put a hand over her mouth to try to hide her sobbing. Gray, seeing that she was feeling relieved that he was _with_ her, wrapped his arms around her and held her as tightly as he could. Juvia hid her face on the crook of his neck and they stayed together for a few minutes, while she cried.

"Everything's gonna be fine." He said over and over again and kissed the top of her head. He remembered someone saying some time ago that pregnant women cried a lot.

"Thank you." Juvia said after she calmed down. "Thank you."

Gray sighed. He had made the right choice in supporting her decision. If they could surpass that, they could surpass anything. Sure, he wanted her to have the baby but he was speaking from the heart when he said that he was going to support her decision, whichever it was. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be. Maybe they were supposed to have a child 5 years from then. Or ten. Or maybe never.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you on Monday. We started it, we'll finish it. One way or another." She hesitated, but nodded in agreement anyway as he dried away her face with his thumb. "We'll make it work, okay?"

"Okay." The blunette murmured and she kissed him lightly on the lips. "Juvia's glad you are here, Gray-sama."

"Me too." Juvia couldn't start to explain how relieved she was. Maybe she didn't have to lose him. She tried to suppress a yawn but couldn't. She had absolutely no sleep that night and had barely slept since she found out she was pregnant.

Seeing her yawn, Gray said gently. "Maybe I should go. You need your sleep." He pointed to her bed behind him.

"Stay?" Juvia looked up, her eyes big and pleading all of a sudden. "Juvia doesn't want to be alone."

He thought about it for a moment and realized that he didn't want to be alone either. And they were sharing a moment there and he had just promised her that he wasn't going to leave when she needed him; and at that moment, she did need him.

Gray nodded and Juvia suddenly sighed in contempt. She got up from the bed and he did the same. They didn't talk while she was changing her dress for an old shirt, Gray took his clothes off –ironically with his back towards her, which was kind of not needed: they had seen each other naked more than enough times–, remaining only in his underwear and waited for her to grab his hand, and followed her to lie underneath the covers.

Once they were settled -Juvia resting her head over his chest while he had his arms around her torso-, Gray knew that it was about eight thirty p.m. or so, but he was tired and having her on her arms was the most normal thing that happened to him for the past forty eight hours.

Even if he didn't sleep right away, having her in his arms eased his mind in a way he didn't think it was possible. At that moment, they just needed to be in each other's presence, in each other's arms and pretend the world was normal again.

Of course, after five minutes, their breathing was steady and easy as they fell asleep absolutely tired from all the drama their lives provided them. Sometimes some human contact, just a hug, could make wonders. It couldn't heal all wounds, but it certainly could bring some comfort for two tired people.

**#**

**AN:** Oh, I'm tired. Wrote this one in one move. I had a small block, but it's gone now. I hope you guys don't think it's too OOC. Next chapter: Monday's appointment will bring many feelings up to the surface!

Thanks to: **Guest, Guest, YamixTeaLover, yagami rin, amyskywalker, Seyrin, Chibi Waru-Chan, Jun'Hee Hyoma Hayagriva, Tjzoom21, TAEMiNATOR18, NekoMaji, cybercorpsesnake, Jessicutie, Guest, Shoma, Essence97, Yuki Brunestud, Ushiio, Tamniin, AngelBaby5643, Darkhope, Rochi-Chan, Yukistar, XxPIPxX, Charliesmuffinxx, SandmanCircus, Katy-Joanne209, Uchiha Evangeline, SakuraIchigoDark, AliceCullen3, Cupcake-Lover-1374, Angel the Neko **and** goNxH**, who reviewed! Right now it's past midnight and I am falling asleep on my keyboard, so I'll try and answer your reviews before I trave in the morningl, okay? I loved every word you guys said to me!

02/09/2013 ~ **BonneyQ**


	9. Hope for The Future

**AN:** So, we all will learn a little bit about abortion in this chapter. Sorry if it conflicts with any of your beliefs, but I think that getting information is good, no matter what.

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Nine – Hope for The Future**

**#**_**  
**__"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it."_**– ****Martin Luther King**

**#**

The Women's Center was packed and Gray was feeling a little out of place, since there were only him and another man there. He was nervous; it was all so real but he wasn't chickening out. Juvia was by his side, she was squeezing the sides of her purse and that was making him even more nervous. He had to be the rock at that moment.

"Everything's gonna be alright." He said and put a hand over hers, squeezing it. "We won't be doing anything today, remember?"

"Yes." Juvia whispered and grabbed his hand.

They had spent the Sunday together and talked again about their options. Gray had seen that the stress was eating Juvia up. She had excused herself three times to go to the bathroom to throw up and now that Gray knew what was going on, he felt bad for her; throwing up all the time isn't exactly the best way to spend your day.

And they also talked to Gajeel, promising to tell him what was happening on Monday evening, after they took care of something. The older man didn't like it at all, especially after his little words' fight with Gray the night before.

But most of all, Gray saw how that decision was overwhelming Juvia. His mother was right, he couldn't judge her, she was suffering with that decision to end the pregnancy.

"Juvia Lockser." A nurse called and snapped Gray out of his thoughts. He squeezed her hands one more time before they got up and meet up with the nurse. "Follow me." She smiled politely and started leading them to the doctor's office. "Here we go." The nurse knocked on the door and opened. "Miss Lockser, doctor."

"Thank you, Melissa." Came the voice of a woman from inside the room. The nurse, Melissa, then opened the door further so Gray and Juvia could get inside.

The doctor was a kind-looking woman; she was probably in her mid-fifties or something. Her hair was all white and carefully cut close to the scalp, heck, even Gray had longer hair than her. But it fit her, somehow. She had sparkling light blue eyes and a very nice smile.

"Good morning, Miss Lockser." The older woman offered a hand to Juvia, who took it. "My name is Erika McQuinn and I'll be attending you today." When she let go of Juvia's hand, she offered it to Gray, who took it. "Erika McQuinn."

"Gray Fullbuster." He nodded and then released the hand. The doctor then told them to sit in the chairs in front of her desk and when all of them were finally sitting and comfortable, Erika started talking.

"So, Miss Lockser. What brings you here today?" She asked.

"Hm…" The blue haired woman hesitated, but with a squeeze of Gray's hand, she took a breath and started talking. "A couple of weeks ago, I found out that I am pregnant." The doctor nodded and Juvia continued. "Juvia came here a few days ago and saw a different doctor, but everything was so crazy that she didn't pay much attention. And Juvia hadn't told Gray-sama yet."

"I see." The older woman nodded again and then stared at Gray. "You're her boyfriend, then?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"It's nice that the two of you coming here together. Normally it's just a girl and sometimes a friend." Doctor McQuinn turned to her computer and started to type something. "Here you are. You saw Doctor Jessica James. Lovely girl. Did she tell you about your options?" The older woman returned her gaze towards the couple.

"Yes." Juvia said. "Keep the baby, adoption and termination."

"Very good. What did you decide to do?"

Juvia squeezed Gray's hand harder as she tensed. Seeing that she was a little disturbed, Gray was the one who spoke up.

"We are seeing our options. We talked about keeping the baby, but if that's not what we decide it in the end, we want to know more about termination." He said kindly looking towards Juvia during the last words.

"Okay, then." The doctor said. "First, we have different methods for each stage of the pregnancy and we can't perform a termination after the 20th week. Do you know how far along are you?"

Juvia didn't say a word. Gray looked at her confused and then looked to the doctor. "She's seven weeks." He said. "We are certain because it was a one-time thing before we found out she was pregnant."

"I see." The doctor took a deep breath and then took from a drawer a miniature of the woman's inside organs to show them better what was going to happen. "We'll use the method most common and comfortable for both woman and fetus. Well, first of all you'll have an ultrasound to determine the size of the pregnancy tissue and position of your uterus, Miss Lockser. Once the ultrasound is completed the nurse will offer you an anti-anxiety medication to take orally while you wait to see me. Before the procedure an IV is inserted to provide medications that will ensure a comfortable procedure." Juvia was staring blankly at the doctor, but nodded slightly. "You are _not_ put to sleep during the procedure but you will feel very drowsy. Prior to the procedure I will do a pelvic exam, which means that I'll insert one finger into the vagina to determine the size and position of the uterus with my own hands to perform the procedure. Once the exam is complete a speculum, I think you're familiar with it if you have your appointments with your gynecologist right: it's the instrument used for pap exams, is inserted into the vagina to allow me to see your cervix, which is this opening of the uterus." Doctor McQuinn pointed to the miniature. "I will then freeze the cervix with a local anesthetic; this may cause a small amount of cramping or pinching."

"So, she won't feel pain?" Gray asked. Since he knew nothing about the subject, he was compelled to ask.

"No, just a little bit of cramping, nothing serious." The older woman said and Gray nodded for her to continue her explanation. "I will first gently open the cervix to gain access to the uterus; this may result in slight pressure and cramping. Once the cervix is open, I will empty the pregnancy tissue with a tube connected to a suction pump; you can feel minimal to heavy cramping as the uterus contracts and gets smaller. I will then clean the walls of the uterus to ensure all the tissue is removed and a final suction is done. The procedure should take no more than 10 minutes."

Gray nodded in understanding. It seemed simple enough. "Is that safe?"

"Very." Erika nodded. "It is expected that women do not eat or drink six hours prior to the procedure; this includes gum and water. She won't be able to drive for 24 hours after it; therefore you must make arrangements to have someone pick her up." She told Gray.

"I see." He said. "And what about rest?"

"A day would be enough, but if she could stay in bed for, let's say... a weekend wouldn't hurt." Doctor McQuinn said. "Do you have any questions, Miss Lockser?" Gray stared at his girlfriend and was concerned almost immediately; she was so pale that it scared him.

"Juvia, are you alright?" Gray asked and saw her hand go to her stomach and the other, she let go of his own and put it over her mouth. Seeing the clear signs of her nausea, he turned to the doctor. "Where's the bathroom?"

"I have one here." The older woman opened a door that was in the wall behind her and Juvia was quickly on her feet to get there. She didn't even have the time to close the door before bending over and emptying the few contents of her stomach on the toilet.

Gray went inside and held her hair, seeing that there was nothing else he could do at the time. He looked over his shoulder to doctor McQuinn.

"Sorry about that."

"If I got disturbed every time a person throws up, I would be a terrible doctor." Erika said, shaking her head lightly. "Don't worry. Take care of her." The older woman said kindly as she returned to her desk, while Gray stayed with Juvia.

After a few minutes, the girl was done. She had tears in her eyes when Gray's eyes met hers and again, he was concerned.

"Juvia? What is it?" He asked and she saw her sit on the bathroom floor and he didn't concerned himself with if it was or not sanitary at that moment.

"I can't do this." She murmured.

"What?" Gray asked, kneeling in front of her.

"The baby." She sobbed and let the tears fall. Gray's heart sank a little bit, but nodded in understanding. Maybe it was too much for her to have a baby at that moment.

"It's alright. I told you that I would be with you with whatever decision." He said kindly. "We can schedule the termination if that's what you wa-..."

Gray got interrupted by her. She was shaking her head. "No, no. It's the opposite. Juvia can't have an abortion." She said and Gray took a quick breath. "Not when this is your baby."

He shook his head; Gray couldn't let her choose to have the kid because he wanted it.

"Juvia, we talked about this... I don't want you making that decision because I want it..."

"It's not like that. Juvia can't terminate this pregnancy because this baby is yours and mine; we made it together. It doesn't matter how, it's ours." She put her hand over her lower stomach. "Juvia only thought about the bad side of having a baby right now, but you showed me that it is possible to have it all. And… maybe if this were anyone else's baby, Juvia could go through with the abortion, but it is ours. And like always, you give Juvia strength and hope." The girl changed her expression to one of despair. "Just… promise you will be there. Juvia doesn't know if she can do it alone."

"I will!" Gray reassured her, trying his best to calm her down. "I promised to be here for you and I'll be."

"Juvia can't be alone anymore, Gray-sama." She was still crying, the damn hormones kicking in. "Before, Juvia only knew loneliness, but now, she has friend and you. She can't be alone again." Gray frowned, not exactly knowing why they were at that subject.

"You won't." He said. "This baby will bind us forever; you'll never be alone again, okay?" Gray saw her nod lightly. "No matter what happens between us, I promise to be with you." Those only made her cry harder. "And I can't think of anyone else better to be the mother of my kid."

"Really?" She asked quietly.

"Really." He nodded. Gray saw her give him a small smile. "So, I guess we're keeping it?" He asked a little uncertain.

She hesitated, but nodded. Gray offered her a big grin. "First you scare me with getting pregnant, and then you tell me we won't be having the baby, and then you tell me that we are. I don't think I ever had this much excitement in only four days."

"Maybe we should stop the excitement for a while." Juvia said with a small smile.

"It would be good. I don't think I can take another four days like these." He laughed quietly, also sitting on the floor in front of her.

"It won't be easy." Juvia said.

"It won't" Gray nodded.

"Are we prepared for this?" She asked.

"Hell no." Gray scoffed. "We are most certainly not. But we'll figure things out as we go. We always have." He offered his hand to her and she took it. "Okay?"

"Yes." Juvia nodded.

"Now let's get up and go talk to the doctor. I don't think she wants us to be all mushy in her bathroom." Gray said getting up and Juvia giggled as he helped her up. Both of them washed their hands before stepping out of the bathroom. The doctor was sitting on her chair, with a small smile on her lips. "Sorry about that." He told her again.

"It's okay." Doctor Erika said. "We are always happy to see a couple deciding against the abortion because they decided to keep the baby." She grinned and Gray and Juvia returned to their seats. "Now that you will remain pregnant, Miss Lockser, I will prescribe you a few vitamins for you. This clinic can provide you pre-natal care or you can go to another one that you feel more comfortable with." The doctor said and Juvia nodded. The girl turned to look to Gray and he felt her gaze on him and stared back at her, and offered her a smile before returning his attention back to the doctor and that time, she was the one who reached for his hand.

She had been scared to want the baby and end up alone. She had been scared to have the baby and screw up. She had been terrified of scare Gray off with the pregnancy. She had been afraid of changing her life completely.

But then Gray had promised her to stay by her side. And she knew how strongly he felt about his promises. He would be there for her.

So, she had allowed herself to wonder about the child growing inside her belly. She had allowed herself to want to have the baby.

Gray was being so patient with her and her indecisions, but now her mind was set straight. She was still scared, of course. She never dealt with a situation such as that one, and it scared the life out of her, but she had Gray by her side. She could do it. For him and for their baby, she was going to get stronger to earn them.

**#**

Gajeel was staring at the couple in front of him with wide eyes and was opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Juvia and Gajeel were at the kitchen, each was sitting in one side of the counter.

"You are _what_?" He asked, looking at Juvia.

"Pregnant." She answered, and noticed that Gray was strategically standing behind her, even though there was a small wall between them and Gajeel.

"Fullbuster!" Gajeel was red on the face. "You got Juvia pregnant!" He got up and started to walk from one side to another like a caged tiger.

"It was an accident, Gajeel-kun." Juvia sighed in exasperation.

"No, no, no, no." The older man stopped his pacing. "Falling down the stairs is an accident. Getting hit by a truck is an accident! Forgetting to use a condom is _not_ an accident!"

"We were drunk." Gray tried to tell him.

"Oh, you don't get to talk right now, you little motherfu..."

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia said.

"Shit! Both of you are stupid." Gajeel pointed to them with his eyes narrowed. "You _two_ are stupid!"

"We know." Juvia sighed and went to stay by Gajeel's side, while Gray stayed in a safe distance from the red eyed man. "But it's done now."

"Yes, of course it's done. A couple of stupid's like you." Gajeel mumbled a few cuss words for a minute or two while the couple stayed in silence giving him time to get used to the idea that his friend, the closest thing he had to a sister, was pregnant. They certainly needed their own time to think too. "What are you _two_ doing?" He emphasized the word, staring right into Gray's eyes, sending a very simple message.

'_You are not leaving her_.' His stare said.

"We talked and _we _are keeping it." Gray said, staring back at him.

"I see." Gajeel put his hand over his eyes. "This is so stupid. You were stupid, Juvia." He said. "And all this time you were sick because of the kid. And you didn't tell me." There was a slight note of disappointment in his voice.

"Sorry." Juvia stepped closer to her friend. "But it was something Juvia needed to decide with Gray-sama. Now that we did, you were the first one we told." She said. "Juvia promised to tell you once she was ready and she is. Before, Juvia was confused and scared."

"That's usually when you go to someone for help, baka." Gajeel snarled at her.

"Gajeel-kun, I didn't even know if I was going to keep the baby." Juvia said kindly to him and he frowned.

"What?"

"Juvia was considering an abortion, Gajeel." Gray told him. "Up until this morning, that was an option."

Gajeel stared at Juvia for a full minute before speaking, his eyes darker for a moment.

"If you have doubts..." He said.

"I do. But..." She was beginning to say when he interrupted.

"Do you know what are you doing by keeping it?" Gajeel asked her.

"Yes." She nodded and Gray frowned to their conversation.

"Do you remember how it was for us?" Gajeel asked again.

"Juvia will never forget." She answered.

"And are you committed to this?" They were looking into each other's eyes. "The kid will be someone you can't toss around if you get bored. You out of all people knows how that feels."

"Yes." Juvia answered simply. "I was scared at first, but Gray-sama promised to stay. And, Juvia thinks that even if he didn't." She told her friend and then looked over her shoulder to Gray. "It's just like Juvia told Gray-sama: this baby is ours. I'm still afraid, but in the moment I decided to have it, Juvia will not give it up. Ever."

The blunette returned her eyes to Gajeel. "It won't be easy, but no matter what happens, Juvia will never allow it to have the same childhood we had, Gajeel-kun." Juvia said and the older man nodded.

"Okay." He sighed. "It's done now. You have to take care of yourself now, you know, baka?"

"Yes." Juvia stepped close to him and gave him a hug, which Gajeel accepted awkwardly.

"And I'll have to get used to smell dirty diapers and wake up in the middle of the night." He groaned in pain with the thought and Juvia giggled.

"I guess you will."

"Well, if you had to wake up in the middle of the night when I came home from a night of drinking and sometimes you do use the bathroom after me, I guess that will make us even." He mumbled.

Gray let them have their moment, while he thought about what they just said. Juvia was currently roommates with Gajeel, not him. That was another point they had to carefully think about, along with many, many other things. Their living arrangement. How would that work out? For the moment, Gray pushed it away from his mind, relieved that at least Gajeel knew and didn't condemn them too much, other than telling how stupid they were. Gray needed to get used to be called that for a few more times once he let his friends know.

Oh, man. Telling everyone else was going to be a pain.

**#**

**AN:** Hello, darlings! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Anyway, I'm gonna go back to college next week, so the updates will become more random, but I'll try to update two times a week so it can be done soon, alright? We still have plenty ground to cover in all of this. I mean, the rest of the guys don't even know Juvia and Gray are dating! I'll be taking a flight that will last in total about a day, so I'll most certainly write this and the sequel to "**Call his name**" during it. Oh yeah. Juvia will have her payback. Sorry, I just feel a little frisky. I went to THE biggest and awesom_est _Carnival ever. It is the bigger in the world, I think. **Carnaval in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil is ****the**** best**, even if I didn't like the songs (not my style) and yet, it was amazing; that's how much fun it is! Oh man, I had a great time.

Anyways, I'd like to thank**:** **Guest, Uchiha Evangeline, YamixTeaLover, Katy-Joanne20, NekoMaji, Darkhope, Yukistar, animegirl115, Guest, AngelBaby5643, cybercorpsesnake, Angel the Neko, AliceCullen3, XxPIPxX, Essence97, Chibi Waru-Chan, ke23, Jessicutie, Rochi-Chan, TAEMiNATOR18, amyskywalker, DarkSkiesBlueEmotions, Ushiio **and **FairyTailxoLov**e for reviewing! All of you rock!

02/15/2013** ~ BonneyQ**


	10. That's How Girls Do It

**AN**: Sorry, guys! This week was crazy! I had to travel, clean the house, go to the bank (and wait in a big line), then to college (and face three other very big lines), go to class and in the end of the day, I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep, but here I am! I hope you like it!

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Ten – That's How Girls Do It**

**#**_**  
**__"Who run the world? Girls!" _**– Run the World, Beyoncé**

**#**

It was that weekend when Juvia and Gray decided to tell the rest of their friends about their new relationship. They decided together to not tell anyone about the pregnancy just yet; they read in a book they got that couples usually waited until the first trimester was over before telling the news.

They were together, sitting at the diner owned by Lisanna's family, close to the University with their friends. Since there were about fifteen people gathering around three tabled, it was quite loud. Juvia was sitting next to Gray, and no one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary: she always sat beside him. Out of their friends, the only ones who knew they were together were Gajeel, Lisanna and Loki, and not even the orange haired man knew about the pregnancy yet.

After a night filled with laughter, Gray leaned to talk to Juvia while the noise was still loud enough so he could do it without others knowing.

"Are you tired?" He asked her, worriedly. Gray noticed that she was fatigued most of the time.

"A little bit." Juvia whispered back and no one thought it was strange; Gray and Juvia had their own way of dealing with things.

"Let's do it, then." Gray sighed. It was a simple plan, really. "Guys, it's getting late and we're tired."

"Booo!" Bixlow 'booed' Gray and Cana joined him, laughing.

"Do you need your beauty sleep, milady?" Natsu asked in a mockery tone. "Because it's not working!"

"Shut up, morons!" Gray got up and yelled at his friends and then he turned to Juvia, offering a hand, which she took, also getting up. "We're leaving."

"Good night." Juvia waved with her free hand and went with her boyfriend while everyone who didn't know they were together just stared at their joint hands in disbelief. Especially since it was Gray the one who offered it.

"Okay, _what_ did you give me, Mira?" Cana looked down to her beer, confused. Was she hallucinating?

"Gray didn't take his hand away!" Lucy said in a confused tone. All of them knew that Gray wouldn't do that just for kicks and giggles.

"Calm down, guys, it's not like they're doing anything abnormal." Levy said, still looking as the couple reached the door and went out of the diner. "I mean, it's _Juvia._ She would tell _everyone_. Even the homeless' on the streets." She said and the others nodded in agreement but after a moment of contemplation, most of them were going to the nearest window to continue to look to the couple. Loki and Gajeel, knowing about the plan, snorted and didn't move from their seats.

"Ouch, my foot."

"Go over there!"

"Droy, you have to stay in the back, man or we won't see a thing."

"Why are we spying on Gray and Juvia?"

"Shut up, Natsu."

"Whoever grabbed my butt…"

"Sorry, it was an accident!"

"It's not manly to spy on our friends."

"I also think so."

"Feel free to go away, Ever and Elfman. My babies and I want to see what happens."

"Shhh! They are outside talking."

"Come on, Erza. Let's see!"

"Mira, we're adults. We shouldn't be spying on them."

"Oy, something is happening!"

**#**

"Are they looking?" Juvia asked once she and Gray were outside. The man nodded.

"Of course they are." He snorted. Their curiosity was so predictable.

"You do know that we will be receiving texts and calls all night long, right?" She asked, giggling like a schoolgirl. The blunette couldn't believe that it was finally happening; she was about to officially become Gray's girlfriend!

"Yes." He sighed. "And this is just phase one. Imagine once they learn about the baby."

"We won't hear the end of it, will we?" Juvia stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Nope." Gray grinned, looking down to his girlfriend. "Let's drop the bomb then, shall we?" The blunette laughed and Gray grabbed her face gently so they could kiss. And just to make sure their friends had no doubt about what was happening, it was a very well given French kiss that made Juvia's knees weak.

Once they needed air again, they separated and, still holding hands went to spend the night in his apartment; while their friends inside the diner were blinking dumbly in surprise.

What the hell was happening between the two of them?

**#**

As expected from their friends, when Juvia and Gray turned their phones on, each had several missed calls and many texts asking what was happening. In the morning before Gray left Juvia's apartment to go to his own, they had laughed and both were certain that they would have a crazy day explaining things to their friends.

Both decided to tell the truth, but omit the pregnancy part if (_when_) anyone asked. It was just easier if they already saw them as a couple when they give the news about the baby, which would take another five weeks, when Juvia would have finished the first trimester. By then they would certainly gotten used to Gray and Juvia as a couple.

After saying good-bye to her boyfriend, Juvia went to put some old clothes, grabbed her iPod and started to clean the house. She was sure that she would have visitors. Her girlfriends would organize and come to talk to her, just as predicted by her and Gray.

After half an hour after she started cleaning the apartment, she felt a hand on her shoulder and almost had a heart-attack. She swung the broom towards the person by instinct, fortunately, she missed. Gajeel was fast enough to move out of the way before she could hit him.

"Gajeel-kun!" Juvia put a hand over her chest and then took of the earphones. "You scared Juvia to death!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Gajeel asked, grabbing the broom from her.

"It's Sunday." Juvia frowned. "It's 'cleaning the house' day."

"You have to think of your condition!" Gajeel said and Juvia took a moment before she could understand what he was referring to. She smiled. Oh, that sweet tsunedere.

"Gajeel-kun… Just because Juvia is pregnant, it doesn't mean that she can't do her chores." The man eyed her in suspicion. "It's true, you can look it up. How do you think things got done a few centuries back? Women did everything they used to do. Some even rode horses up until the day they went to labor."

"Yeah, well… That is in the _past_." Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Here in the _present_, or at least here in this house, no pregnant lady will drag sofas around to clean."

"Aw, you called Juvia a lady." The blunette teased him.

"Shut up."

"Okay, how about this… You drag the furniture around so Juvia won't lift any weight, if it makes you feel better." Juvia reasoned with him and Gajeel appeared to be thinking. "When Juvia's stomach starts to get in the way or if the doctor says she can't do chores anymore, she'll stop right away."

He sighed and nodded, offering the broom back. Sweep a floor wasn't a very risky thing to do, right? "What do you need me to move?"

"Juvia already covered it for today." The woman shrugged. "You can put it back in place?"

"Okay." Gajeel went to do exactly what his friend asked and when everything was on its place, Juvia continued to sweep the broom in the places she hadn't yet. "By the way, I'll be gone all afternoon." Juvia looked up to him. "Shortstuff called. Apparently you are going to be questioned today."

"Juvia already expected it." She shrugged. "It was part of the plan to not do a big reveal out of the relationship."

"You should've seen the morons when you two left." Gajeel chuckled. "_Cana_ thought she was drunk."

"Is it that hard to believe that Gray-sama and Juvia could be in a relationship?" Juvia frowned.

"No, actually." Gajeel frowned as well. "It's really not. I guess that they were just surprise, because honestly, it came out of nowhere."

"True." She sighed and resumed her sweeping. "Now, either grab a broom or gather the dirty laundry." Gajeel started to complain. "Hey, _you_'re the one who wants to take the chores away from Juvia."

"Maybe I am regretting my decision." He mumbled under his breath. "Man, this kid is already messing up with the ecosystem in here."

**#**

As it turned out, not even after fifteen minutes Gajeel left the apartment (he probably got a notice from his girlfriend) the girls appeared. Levy, Lucy, Cana, Lisanna, Erza and Mirajane were inside her house before she could even open the door right.

"Hello…" Juvia said, but the girls cut her off.

"What was that yesterday, Juvia?" Lucy asked as soon as she could.

"Are you and Gray together?" Levy was the one who asked this time.

"We will need glasses for this!" Cana showed the vodka in hands and wandered inside the house.

"Hm…" Juvia tried to talk, but the girls weren't listening, more interested in asking all questions possible.

"You have to be! Gray wouldn't just grab your hand…" Lucy said.

"And kiss you!" Levy added.

"…in public like that!" The blonde finished.

"Found the glasses!" Cana said happily from the kitchen.

"So, what's happening?" Both Levy and Lucy asked at the same time and only then Juvia realized that she was literally with her back against a wall. The girls could be really scary and for a moment there, Juvia was frightened with the questions.

"Let her breathe!" Lisanna said, passing between the girls and leading Juvia away from their prying friends. The white haired girl asked in a whisper. "Are you up for this?"

"Yes." The blunette nodded, already prepared for all the questions. Lisanna led her to the couch.

"Let me give her a shot of vodka and she'll sing like a bird!" Cana said, coming from the kitchen. Bottle underneath one of her arms and a few glasses one inside another, struggling with it.

"This is their business." Erza said with arms crossed under her breasts and a little uncomfortable.

"You want to know too." Mirajane giggled and went to help Cana, so the brunette could return to the kitchen to get more glasses.

"I do, but not pressuring her!" The scarlet haired woman said.

"It's alright." Juvia said. "Juvia will tell you what happened."

"Wait for the booze!" Cana said from the kitchen.

Lucy and Levy went to sit next to Juvia, while Cana returned with the remaining cups for their vodka shots. The blunette immediately got worried: she couldn't drink because of the baby and if she refused they would notice something was off. She sent Lisanna, who was sitting on her right side, a pleading look.

The white haired girl frowned, not understanding exactly what was happening, so Juvia had to lean in her direction to whisper. "Juvia can't drink."

Realization passed through Lisanna's face. "I'll make a plan, don't worry."

After a few minutes, the girls were rushing Cana. They wanted to know the story already. And when the brunette finally gave each of them a glass with the vodka, all of them stared at Juvia with eager eyes, even Erza.

Juvia stared to her glass of booze and stayed in silence until Lucy, who was in her left side asked with impatience.

"Come _on_, Juvia!"

"Fine." The blunette brought her glass close to her mouth and pretended to drink it. "Well, it all started eight weeks ago…"

"What? All this time?" Cana asked, in shock.

The others shushed her even though they were also surprised with it. It didn't make sense for Juvia to hide a relationship with Gray.

"Do you remember that Soccer Party? In Gray-sama and Loki-san's apartment?" The girls nodded. "That night, Juvia and Gray-sama had a lot to drink. I mean a _lot_. So much that neither could remember exactly what happened."

"Who says that I don't bring the good stuff to the parties?" Cana laughed, drinking her vodka.

"Anyway… the next morning…" She sighed, already preparing herself for the exclamations of surprise. "…we woke up together in bed, naked."

She waited as the information sank in their minds. Even Mirajane's usual smiley face was replaced with one of surprise.

"What?" All of them asked in the same time.

"Yeah…" Juvia blushed.

"Did you two…?" Levy asked, still in shock.

"No doubt." Juvia replied, thinking about the pregnancy.

"Oh my god!" Lucy covered her mouth with her hand.

"Did he take advantage of you, Juvia?" Erza asked, even though not even she believed it. She knew Gray.

"Of course not." The blunette shook her head. "We were _both_ very drunk. It was no one's fault."

"Fine, fine. That was weeks ago. Continue the story!" Cana said, pouring more vodka in her own glass. Lisanna excused herself to go to the kitchen and asked Juvia to continue, that she would be right back.

"Well… that morning, Juvia panicked and ran away. We didn't speak with each other until Monday. He passed by and we talked. Juvia thought it was weird what happened because of the circumstances of it, and he agreed to it. We agreed on not letting that night interfere in our friendship. But it did."

"That's why you two were so awkward towards each other!" Erza said, surprised. "We all thought that you had confessed to him and he had… rejected you. That boy is too unpredictable." Lisanna returned from the kitchen and sat beside Juvia again, trading glasses with her with discretion.

"I guess so." Juvia stopped to pretend to drink again and when the glass was close enough, she could notice the lack of smell and drank it; Lisanna had exchanged her vodka with water. It could fool the girls and she could actually drink it. She needed to remember to thank the girl later. "Juvia had promised that everything would be alright and it didn't. We grew apart, it was awkward." The girls nodded, remembering those weeks. None of them knew exactly what to do to cheer Juvia up, even though she was trying to act like everything was normal.

"Then, there was the graduation party." Juvia sighed. "I was ready to go to it and mend fences with Gray-sama one way or another, but…" She glanced at Lisanna. "Juvia had been sick for a few days before the party…" The girls nodded, they all knew that Juvia had food poisoning that day, and that's why she couldn't make it to the party. Gajeel said that she had oysters. "Gray-sama thought that Juvia didn't want to go and came here to set things straight. He said that he missed Juvia." The blunette smiled softly to the memory. "The next morning we talked…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold your horses." Cana said. "The next morning? Gray went missing from the graduation around two a.m. and he came here. How did you two end up talking in the morning?" When Juvia's face became as red as a ripped tomato, the girls squealed. "Wow, again?" Cana said. "You two are like rabbits, aren't ya?"

"Cana!" Erza said, also with a shade of pink on her cheeks.

"I am just stating the truth. Now that I know this, I won't ever be alone with those two ever again. I have seen many disturbing things in my life, those two doing it will not be added to the list." The brunette laughed and Mira joined.

Juvia coughed. "Anyway… the next day, Gray-sama asked what we should do. He suggested that we went out together, but not as just friends. He said that he wanted to try to be more." The girls 'awed' and Juvia giggled. "We have been together since then."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mirajane asked kindly and every girl in the room was staring at Juvia.

The blunette took another sip of water and sighed. "Juvia wanted to have her Gray-sama only for herself for a few days. We had no idea where it was going to lead us. And if you guys knew before we were really together, sorry to say, but we do meddle into each other's relationships." The girls nodded, in understanding.

"Are you happy, Juvia?" Lisanna asked, with a big smile.

"Yes." Juvia smiled back. "Gray-sama is everything Juvia wanted and more than what she deserves, but she's gonna be selfish and hold on to him as hard as she can."

"You sound like Gajeel when we started dating." Levy rolled her eyes, and then asked. "Wait… did Gajeel know about you and Gray?"

"Yes."

"And he didn't tell me!" Levy was surprised.

"Sorry, Levy-san!" Juvia tried to calm her; she couldn't let Levy mad at her best friend. "It was Juvia's fault. She asked him not to say a thing. She made him promise."

The petite girl nodded in understanding. "I got it. Don't worry, I'm not mad at him, Ju-chan. He was just being a good friend. It's just this was such a good gossip!"

"Anyway, here's to the new couple!" Cana raised her glass and the girls copied the gesture and drank.

After a couple of hours (and very embarrassing questions from Cana) more, the girls were about to leave. They had a great time with their girly day and if it wasn't Sunday, they would have a sleepover and do even more girly stuff.

"Come on, we still have to get the boys." Lucy said, thinking of her own boyfriend.

"_Where_ are the boys anyway?" Juvia asked, only then occurring to her to ask about their whereabouts.

"Loki and Gray's apartment. They are probably asking him the same things we asked you." Erza said.

**#**

"So, are you dating Juvia? Die, zombie! _Die, die_, _die_!" Natsu asked and with every 'die' he pressed the button on the videogame console.

"Yes." Gray said, concentrated.

"About time." The pink haired man said as they continued to play while the other guys tried to give them instructions. And that was all they talked about the subject.

**#**

"So, it's all good now?" Gray asked, his phone resting on his shoulder, while he tilted his head to the side so he could support it while he prepared his bed.

"_Yes._" Juvia answered from the other side of the line. "_They know everything now. Well, except about the baby._"

"Good." Gray said.

"_Do you think they will be mad once they found out that we knew about the baby and didn't tell?_"

"I don't know." He answered. "Probably not. They'll understand."

"_I hope so_." She whispered and he sighed.

"Don't worry, Juvia. Everything will be fine." He said but she said nothing. Gray sat on his bed. "Did you get sick today?"

"_Yes_." She answered. "_Only two times; morning and about half an hour ago_."

"You are not eating well, are you?" Gray sighed. For her 'only' be sick two times, it meant that she wasn't eating properly, in his mind.

"_It's hard to eat_. _Everything makes Juvia nauseous these days._" Juvia said and he could almost see her shrug.

"Juvia…"

"_Don't worry. Juvia is taking the vitamins the doctor ordered and tomorrow she will have a big lunch_."

"Fine." He lied onto the bed, putting his forearm over his eyes. "Hey, I have to talk to you about something."

She hesitated to ask: "_What?_"

"Don't worry, it's nothing too serious." He reassured her quickly before she could think of the worse. "It's just… next week is my family's monthly reunion. And I want to tell them. Well, the rest of them. I know that we agreed on not telling others until the trimester is over, but I'd like to tell them. Mother invited you too."

"_Do you want Juvia to go with you?_" She asked.

"Hell no." He said fast and panicked a little. Gray didn't want her to misunderstand him. "I mean, not _yet_. I know that you and I are together and all, and my mom wants to meet you. You know everyone else, and it's not like I don't want you two to meet, because I do. It's just… they will freak out. And I don't want you to meet my mother while they are freaking out. Especially Lyon."

"_You can tell them_." She said softly after hearing his little panic attack. "_But wouldn't be better if Juvia was the one telling him?_" She was very aware of the feelings Gray's older brother had for her.

"No. It's a man's thing." Gray said, calm again. "This is something he needs to hear from me."

"_If you think it is the best way, Juvia believes it._" The girl said and they stayed in silence for a while. "_Juvia will sleep now. Good night, Gray-sama._"

"Good night, Juvia." He said softly and hung up.

**#**

**AN**: Sorry about the late update! But being an adult really sucks (says the person who posts a picture of herself as a zombie on facebook)! Really kids, enjoy your childhood while you can. Now with me returning to college, I have the craziest schedule. I guess that instead of two updates in a week, it will be one. Sorry about that, but college comes first. And I promise to update as soon as I can every time!

And the small part of the boys talk is just to show the contrast between men and women. Mostly, women want to have details, while men are okay with just knowing the necessary. I don't know, I think it was funny!

And if the story is going too slow, let me know! I have a feeling that it's going too slow. I intended this to be a small story, but things are getting out of control!

I'd like to thank: **Knight of Athos, Yuki Brunestud, Arcane Valor, YamixTeaLover, Tamely, Jessicutie, animegirl115, Ushiio, ke23, Uchiha Evangeline, Chibi Waru-chan, Darkhope, xScarletxMoonx0, Essence97, yagami rin, FairyTailxoLove, Festus Flare, Yukistar, cybercorpsesnake, XxPlueXx, Rochi-chan, OMG **and **AliceCullen3**! Thanks for your support!

Sorry that I am not pm'ing each of you. I have no internet at home; I am using my phone to update this. But I appreciate every single thing you guys wrote me!

Oh, by the way, **Darkhope** wrote a _very_ good manifesto about Gray x Juvia and I just want to leave the link here: ( ship-manifesto. livejournal dot com slash 281510. html ) with no spaces, you know the drill. For NaruHina fans, there's one too that have its link on her profile! I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

02/24/2013 ~ **BonneyQ**


	11. Hit Me

**AN:** Chapter 321 will only be surpassed by one that they actually hug/kiss/do something more awesome. Friday won't come soon enough. That's all I'm gonna say.

And this chapter's quote is awesome.

#

Big announcement! Now this story has a Beta! Yes, you guys won't have to suffer much longer with my awful mistakes. Thank you **Ratiqu**! Welcome to the family and good luck to you, I can be quite a pain, but I'll try to be as nice as I can.

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Eleven – Hit Me**

**#**

"_When the door closes, when the image of you disappears, I'll probably spend the day in tears because of the memories with you, I'm left alone. I wish you'll be happier. When I let go of this hand now, I'll no longer have any reason to smile but when I see you smiling in another's embrace, I'll try to smile_." – **DooJoon & DongWoon (B2ST) – When the Door Closes**

**#**

"Meredy, you do the dishes today with Gray." Ur said, kissing the pink haired teenager on the top of the head after they had finished their dinner.

"Okay, Nana." The girl replied happily, already picking up some of the dishes. She was the 'adopted daughter' of Ur's daughter, Ultear. She was a nice addition to the family, the girl. Ur knew about her dark background. It wasn't like any of her own kids hadn't gotten in trouble at some point and the older woman was happy to help the girl to have a family. She was happy to be her grandmother.

Ur stared at Gray, who was spacing out –probably worried about his pregnant girlfriend– and smiled. She was going to be a grandmother once again and she had to hide her joy for a few more hours. Sure, the kid was stupid to have knocked someone up, but, according to the things she had heard about her new daughter-in-law, he was on the right track. Besides, when she was out a few days before, she stopped by a baby store and just pictured what she could buy her grandbaby already, but stopped herself. They would have time for presents later.

Then she stared at her older son, Lyon and sighed. The boy had fallen in love with the same girl his brother was currently dating. They were always iffy about each other; they didn't _hate_ each other, of course. But both were very competitive and now that Gray 'won' the girl, Ur had no clue how Lyon would react. The kid was hard to predict.

"Mom, before Meredy and I do the dishes, I have to talk to Lyon for a bit." Gray got up and stared at Lyon, who was confused. Ultear and Meredy also shared a confused look; Gray and Lyon didn't very often share private conversations. And when they did, it was something big. "Can you wait for me a little while, Meredy?"

Gray looked towards Meredy's direction. "Sure thing, Gray."

"How about I do the dishes today with Meredy and tomorrow after lunch, you and Lyon do it?" Ultear suggested. "That way you can talk all you want."

"Fine by me." Gray shrugged.

"Tomorrow I'm gonna use the plates you two can break. No fancy china when you two are working together." Ur joked.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?" Lyon asked and Gray hesitated.

"Not here." The dark haired man said and looked to Ur.

"You two go talk in the living room. No one will interrupt you." The older woman said as she shooed her daughter and granddaughter from the dining room.

**#**

Once Lyon and Gray were in the living room, the white haired man crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the younger man to start telling whatever he needed to tell him. And Lyon was certain that it wasn't a good thing that was coming.

"Say it already." Lyon rolled his eyes. "What's so important that you had to talk to me alone?"

Gray stared at him and let out a sigh. "It's about Juvia." Lyon's eyes perked as soon as he heard the name. "It's about me and Juvia."

Something inside Lyon's chest twisted in pain and he tried to calm himself down. "What about it?"

"We're together." Gray said without beating around the bush. It was never his style to just stall and prolong another's suffering, especially family.

Lyon's expression didn't change from the stoic façade he was putting on but Gray could see the pain that passed through his eyes. "I see. Is it recent?"

"Since my graduation party." Gray informed and Lyon nodded, looking away from his younger 'brother.'

"You do know that my feelings won't change just because…" He was saying, but got interrupted by Gray.

"There's more." Gray said, making Lyon look in his direction, and when their eyes met, Gray told him. "She's pregnant." Lyon blinked in shock. "We are having a baby."

"What…?" The white haired man asked, confused. "Your graduation was four weeks ago. It's too soon to…"

"We started dating after my graduation, but we had a night before that." Gray was being as straight with the other guy as he could. "That's why I was so restless at the party." Lyon couldn't believe his ears. He had to sit on the arm of the couch to really think about what Gray was telling him. Juvia was pregnant with Gray's child. "And since I know about your feelings towards her, I wanted to tell you before I told the others."

"I…" Lyon looked up to Gray and frowned, he knew that Gray felt something about Juvia, but he didn't think it would escalate this quickly. "She's pregnant?"

"Nine weeks." Gray brought his hand towards the back of his head and scratched it. "We just found the baby bump this morning before I took the train here."

"A bump…?" Lyon's head was spinning. The woman he had been in love for the past year and a half was pregnant and dating his younger sibling.

Seeing his discomfort, Gray sighed and stepped closer to Lyon. "Look, I know that you are in love with Juvia and this sucks but you and I share the same mother and now Juvia will be part of this family too along with our kid." Lyon was still in shock and Gray started to leave the living room. "I have to tell Ultear and Meredy now." The white haired man nodded.

After a minute or so, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, meeting his mother's eyes. "Hey, kiddo."

"Mother." Lyon said and returned his gaze to the floor. "Gray just told me."

"I know." She sat beside him on the couch, putting an arm on his shoulders. "He wanted to tell you alone."

"How considerate of him." Lyon said bitterly.

"It truly was." Ur said, looking to her older son. "Some other person wouldn't be as considerate towards your feelings." The white haired man frowned at his mother in question. "Do you think it's easy for him to have you in love with the girl he's dating? He knows that every time you see her, you'll wish it was you who was dating her, not him." Ur took her arm from the spot around his shoulders and started to massage the thigh that had the prosthetic leg. "I know that it's not a walk in the park for you, but neither is it for him or her. They started dating and now, before they've even gotten used to the idea of really being together, they are already expecting a baby.

"I am not diminishing your pain, because god knows I've had my heart broken but right now, nothing I say will make yours go away." She said, then pointed towards the door. "So, go. Go mourn. Tonight you are allowed to feel bad. But you need to remember that heartbroken or not, Gray is still your family and he would do anything for you."

Lyon nodded and got up. He leant and kissed his mother's cheek before grabbing his keys and walking out of the house.

**#**

"_Hello_?" Juvia answered the phone with a sleepy voice and Lyon immediately felt bad.

"Sorry, Juvia. I had no idea you would be asleep at this hour." he said; it was barely ten p.m.

"_Lyon-san_?" She asked. "_It's alright. Juvia was just taking a nap_." He could hear her yawn and could only picture her cute face while she did so. "_What's that noise?_"

"I'm at a bar." He said and looked around. The bar certainly wasn't trashy and the crowd mostly consisted of businessmen. "I heard that congratulations are in order."

The girl was silent for a moment before talking again. "_So Gray-sama told you_."

"Yes." Lyon laughed a little bitterly. "It was a surprise."

"_It was a surprise to all of us_." She answered drily and he felt bad for having an attitude towards her.

"Yes, yes. Sorry." He put a hand over his eyes. "Are you happy, Juvia?"

"_Yes, Lyon-san. Juvia is happy_." She answered softly. "_It's not the ideal scenario, or even the ideal timing to have a baby, but sometimes things happen to put us and the people around us on the track you were supposed to be in the first place. That's what Juvia has been telling herself_."

"You know that I've always thought that you were 'the one,' right?" Lyon asked, and his eyes had a burning sensation suddenly.

"_Yes._" She answered. "_But…_"

"I was never your 'one', was I?" He said, quickly drying a small tear in the corner of his eye that threatened to fall. "For you, it was always Gray."

"_Lyon-san…_" Juvia tried to say something to comfort him but came up with nothing. So, she opted for a different approach. "_Yes. It was always him_."

"I never had a chance, then." Lyon asked even though he already knew the answer.

"_It would be easier to have fallen for you, Lyon. That, Juvia can't deny. It would save both of us heartache, but it would also be wrong_." He could hear the sadness in her voice, the sadness she was feeling for making him feel bad. "_Everything that happened, all the pain and tears… it made us who we are. And right now, Juvia likes who she turned out to be. It was a tough road to get here, but she is finally seeing what she was supposed to become. It's hard at first, but…_"

"It's easy when the person you fell in love also loves you." Lyon said, bitterly.

"_It wasn't easy_." Juvia said, bitterly now, the hormones kicking in. "_It is never easy. Almost four years with nothing more than being friends, and when we met, not even that. So yes, Juvia knows how much it hurts._" She took a deep breath to calm herself down and he waited. When she finally spoke again, her voice was softer. "_I am not your 'the one,' Lyon-san. You will find that girl when you least expect and you'll be swept off your feet. You will feel like you haven't lived until that moment. You will feel like you never breathed, never heard music and never felt your heart beating up until that special moment_."

Lyon was silent after what Juvia told him, and before hanging up he said. "That's exactly what I felt when I met you, Juvia."

The white haired man looked up to the bartender and pointed to his empty glass. "Hit me. And keep them coming."

**#**

Gray waited until Meredy and Ultear were finished with the plates before he said anything to them. His mother had told him that Lyon was out, clearing his thoughts and for a moment, Gray was worried but the thought soon vanished when his mother assured him that Lyon was a big boy and not stupid.

"Come on, girls! You will not want to miss this!" Ur said, already sitting on the couch, with a smirk on her face.

"Don't do that, mom." Gray groaned and Ur laughed.

"Oh, kid. I am enjoying this as much as I can." She said and when the girls entered the living room, Meredy was immediately sitting next to Ur, who wrapped her arms around the girl; while Ultear chose to sit on the couch's arm, also beside her mother.

They had been getting closer and closer since Ur found out that her daughter was not dead and Ultear had finally found out that her mother had always loved her. It had been two and a half years since Ultear had returned home with Meredy as a plus. And since then, they were rebuilding their bond, and it was clear they loved each other very much even though Ultear was not as forthcoming as her daughter.

"So, Gray." Ultear said, crossing her arms underneath her breasts. "What's the big announcement?"

The man got uncomfortable; standing there alone with his mother, his sister and his niece, was kind of unsettling for him. All of them looking at him with expectation and curiosity.

"Do you guys remember Juvia?" He asked and the girls nodded.

"Of course." Meredy smiled. "I talked to her on the phone just a few weeks ago."

Ultear giggled at the teenage girl. "She was so excited about passing grades that she talked with Juvia for half an hour before I snatched the phone away."

"Hey, it's not every day that I pass top of my class! Besides, I'm going to start High School this fall!" The pink haired girl said with a big grin. "School is so much fun."

"That's good, honey." Ur smiled sweetly at her.

"Besides, Juvia's nice." Meredy shrugged. "But what about her, Gray?"

All the attention was back to him and Gray decided to use the same approach he used with Lyon. "Well, good that you like her. Because we're together."

Ultear and Meredy were silent for a moment, before Meredy got away from her grandmother's arms, squealing in happiness. She went to hug Gray.

"Finally!" She hugged him as he accepted awkwardly.

"I was starting to think that you were soft in the head, Gray." Ultear was shaking her head slightly, but with a small smile. "Took you long enough to realize that you loved her back, didn't you?"

"Well, love is a strong word…" Gray tried, but Meredy shushed him.

"It's good enough that you two are dating. You'll tell her what everyone else knows when you're ready to." The pink haired girl smiled at her uncle. "Oh, this just made my day. Mom, I have to call Juvia!"

"Oh, wait. There's more and it gets better." Ur smirked and both of the girls looked at Gray with curious' eyes.

Gray took a deep breath. "She's pregnant."

Ur was staring at the younger girls with a big smirk on her face. She saw their jaws pretty much hit the floor.

"Come again?" Ultear asked.

"Gray's gonna be a daddy!" Ur mocked her son, who sent her a look.

People from three cities away probably heard Meredy's squealing in happiness after the shock wore off.

"I'm going to have a cousin?" She was jumping around. "Oh, can I be called an Aunt, Gray? Please, please, please?" She looked to him with pleading eyes and he actually chuckled.

"I guess you get to pick your title, Mer." He said with affection and the girl clapped her hands happily.

"'Auntie Meredy!' That sounds good." She turned towards Ur and Ultear. "Did you hear, Mom? Nana? I'm gonna be an aunt!"

"I heard, baby." Ultear smiled sweetly at her daughter. "And you'll be an excellent cousin and aunt."

"I agree." Ur nodded and grabbed her daughter's hand and looked up to the young woman. "And you will too, Ultear. You are already a great mother, having a niece or nephew will be easy."

"Thanks, Mother." Ultear offered her mother a smile and then returned her attention to Meredy, who was picking her phone.

"I'll call Juvia right now to…" Gray stopped her gently.

"She's probably sleeping, Meredy." he told her. "I know it's early but she has been having morning sickness and she's tired all the time, and she works all week. She can only sleep the whole day during the weekends."

"And I don't think she can keep up with a hyper you right now, Meredy." Ultear chuckled. "Besides, I think you already had too much excitement for one day."

"Tomorrow morning I'll call her and you two can talk." Gray told the girl, who looked down. Seeing that, Gray picked his own phone. "But if you want to see the baby bump we found this morning, that I can do."

That made all the girls gather around as he showed the picture he had taken just before he left. In the picture, Juvia had her shirt lifted up to just under her breasts. It wasn't a big bump or anything. It was just a little protuberance on her lower abdomen that no one would pay much attention if they didn't know that she was carrying a child.

But since all the women seeing the picture knew, they all 'awed', even Ultear. And Gray was happy to have his family knowing about the baby. And was even happier to know they were happy for him. His mind wandered again towards Lyon, but he pushed it away. He was going to deal with it when or if something happened.

**#**

The next morning, Gray was awoken by a knock on the door. It was five a.m. and he wondered what the hell was happening.

"Come in." He said sitting on his bed and when he saw Lyon entering his room, he was confused. The man was wearing the same clothes as the night before. "What the hell, Lyon?"

"Are you with Juvia just because of the baby?" Lyon asked, taking a few steps so he was in front of Gray.

"What?" Gray was confused.

Lyon grabbed the dark haired man by the shoulders to make him get up. "Are you with her just because she's pregnant?"

"Of course not!" Gray got free of his grasp.

"Don't lie to me!"

"I am not!" Gray said. "We got together before I knew she was pregnant."

Lyon studied the other man's face and concluded that he was telling the truth, then sighed in relief. "She's in love with you." Gray opened his mouth to talk, but Lyon kept talking. "It's not some silly crush, Gray. I called her last night and we talked. She loves you and I love her. And you probably won't understand it, but I am happy she's happy, even if it's with you and not me. Of course I'd rather have her by my side, but she's not." Gray could smell the liquor on him, but he could tell that Lyon was not too drunk. "She is a beautiful woman. She is sweet, caring, strong and brave. I don't know why she chose you to love; don't matter how long I keep thinking, I don't know why it's you and not me. And even though I know she loves you, I can't just un-love her.

"So, I will be happy to see her happy with you but just as long as you make her happy, because the moment you make her unhappy, I'll be right there to kick your ass and take her away from you. Oh yeah. I will not give up on her either, keep it in your mind that I'll still try to make her love me." Lyon straightened his body. "She told me that I would know 'the one' once I met her. And I did meet her." Lyon gave him an icy look. "You haven't felt that way, and yet you have her love and that's something I have to live with." Lyon stepped closer to Gray. "I don't care if she's pregnant with your kid, because the baby will be half her and that's enough. That's how much I want her." Gray was surprised with his speech. "So, Gray, you two dating and having a baby changes nothing between you and I or between me and Juvia."

"I won't let you have her." Gray growled to Lyon and he could feel the competitiveness inside him rise.

"You won't have to when she comes to me willingly." Lyon said smugly. "It may happen in a week, a year or even ten years from now. It may never happen. But I am not giving up."

"Good for you, but she's not going anywhere with you." Gray said.

"We'll see." Lyon smirked and walked away from the room.

Gray couldn't believe what he had just heard. Was Lyon really still that hooked by Juvia? He wasn't giving up even though she already had a boyfriend and a baby on the way? It was bad to know that he didn't feel that strongly toward Juvia just yet. But it was nice to know that his brother was still his brother. That their relationship didn't change much.

They would always be rivals, and this time, the prize was bigger than anything they ever fought for. And now that Gray was finally opening his heart, he couldn't afford to lose. Maybe having a little competition wasn't a bad idea after all.

**#**

**AN:** I only watch the scenes from the anime that I like on the manga, mostly the Gruvia ones. I want to see the holding hands thing so bad! I hope they don't put any fillers in the middle! And if they do, many _many many many_ Gruvia or Gruvyon scenes, pls!

Seriously, I never thought that holding hands had so much meaning until I saw Naruto and Hinata doing it. And now, Gray and Juvia. My poor ship-heart has so many feels right now.

Special thanks to: **Essence 97, Uchiha Evangeline, , Ratiqu, YamixTeaLover, animegirl115, cybercorpsesnake, Jessicutie, XxPlueXx, Theejay-sama, Tamniin, superduperizee, amyskywalker, xScarletxMoonx0, Yukistar, Seyrin, Darkhope, SaakuraIchigoDark, Chibi Waru-chan, Ushiio, Rochi-Chan **and** AliceCullen3 **who reviewed! Thank you so much!

And the song When the Door Closes is so beautiful. Search it on youtube, it's in Korean, but look it up with subtitles on. It's awesome and beautiful.

03/03/13 ~ **BonneyQ**


	12. Bean

**AN:** Late update but here it is!

This chapter was betaed by the amazing **Ratiqu! **Thank you!

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Twelve – Bean**

**#**

_"Well can you feel it; oh everybody sees it how your sweet smile has a way of lighting up a room. Yeah you shine like diamonds in everything you do. Oh love, love, love's lookin' good, good, good on you."_ – **Love's Looking Good On You – Lady Antebellum**

**#**

Three weeks passed without much excitement for Gray and Juvia, besides the double dates they had with their other friends; they went out with Gajeel and Levy to see a movie, the following week they went to have dinner with Natsu and Lucy. It was just silly that now that they were dating, they had to have dates with other couples, but it seemed the social thing to do, so they did it.

Gray was nervous, Juvia could see the way he clenched his hands by the side of his body. There was nothing to be nervous about, really; they were just having a follow-up appointment. And of course, it was their first scan; it meant that they could see their baby.

So maybe there was reason for Gray to be nervous, because suddenly she was also nervous.

What if there was something wrong with their baby? She put a hand over her now slightly swollen stomach. Week after week Juvia and Gray had been seen her stomach become bigger as their child grew. Juvia was wearing looser clothes so their friends couldn't see that she had now a noticeable stomach, which she'd never had in her life before.

Juvia had been through the sickness without alarming everyone and she was feeling anxious to let the others know about the pregnancy because at this point, the only ones she could talk to about it were Gray, Gajeel and Lisanna. But she wanted to be able to stop in front of a baby store without raising suspicion, she wanted to openly discuss how tired she was and she really wanted to gather the girls and buy some stylish maternity clothes (she was not going to be dressed with some ugly clothes just because she was pregnant).

"Miss Lockser?" A nurse called and Juvia got up, followed by Gray. They stared at each other for a moment and then went in after the nurse. This was it.

**#**

"'911. Come to my place by 3pm. – Gray.'?" Erza asked, stepping inside the apartment of the young man when he opened the door and showing her cellphone where it showed Gray's text. "What's the emergency?"

"More like an announcement." Gray said, waving towards the living room, where the rest of their friends were waiting for whatever he was going to say. "You were the last one to arrive."

"Thank god." Cana said. "We've been standing here for the past fifteen minutes waiting for you, Erza."

"I apologize." The red haired woman said with a solemn voice. "I was finishing work."

"It's okay." Cana shrugged and turned to Gray. "Now can you tell us what this is all about?"

"Yes." Gray shifted his body uncomfortably as he stood in front of every one of his friends. Juvia was soon by his side, also not entirely comfortable with being the center of attention but this way was better than telling each of their friends individually. "Juvia and I…"

"WAIT!" Gajeel yelled while he went to stand next to the couple. He had a video camera on his hands. "It's still turning on."

Most of the people inside the room stared at Levy while her boyfriend was still trying to turn the camera on. The petite blunette girl shrugged. "Don't look at me; I don't know what's going on. He just asked to borrow my camera today."

"Okay, it's recording!" Gajeel grinned. "This is going to be _so_ funny!"

"As I was saying…" Gray rolled his eyes, making their friends turn their attention towards him and Juvia once again. "Juvia and I have something to tell all of you and it is just more practical to tell in one go."

He looked to Juvia, who took a deep breath and said as clearly as she could: "I am pregnant."

Just as Gajeel predicted, it was amusing. Most of them just frowned, confused. Others were more obvious with their reactions: Loki was in the middle of taking a sip of his beer and when Juvia's soft voice sunk into his mind, the beer went down the wrong pipe and a handful of it came out from his nose. Natsu was eating a sandwich and it _also_ went down the wrong pipe and the pink haired man started to cough hard. Cana had stopped her hand mid-air as she was about to drink from a wine bottle, making the liquid fall into her blouse. And so went on.

There was a moment of dead silence (aside from the noises Natsu and Loki were making).

"WHAT?" All of them asked at the same time and Gray and Juvia made a face because of the volume.

"We are going to have a baby." Gray said as calmly as he could. He was aware that it was a shock; in their minds, he and Juvia had only been dating for a little while and out of the blue… a baby? He'd felt lost when he found out too, obviously.

"But… but…" Lucy, who seemed to be the only one who wasn't too shell-shocked, tried to say.

"We've known for some time now. Sorry that we didn't tell you." Juvia said, blushing a little. "We were waiting for the first trimester to be over."

"Fi… fi… first trimester?" Levy asked with her mouth open in disbelief. "Are you already three months pregnant?" Gajeel let out a laugh when his girlfriend started to stutter, but continued to record.

"Yes." Juvia nodded. Since Gray's apartment was always acclimatized to have a much lower temperature than outside (he was _really_ bothered by the heat), Juvia was wearing a baggy sweater she'd borrowed from him and no one thought much of it, and underneath it she was wearing a simple top that clung to her body. The blue haired girl started to pull the sweater off. All their friends' eyes went to her covered stomach, to the small, but noticeable protuberance on her lower abdomen. "Juvia had to wear much looser clothes to hide it, but there's no reason to anymore."

"Oh my god!" Mira exclaimed putting a hand over her mouth. "You _are_ really pregnant!"

"Yes." Juvia nodded and offered the woman a small smile. "Juvia really is."

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Mirajane stepped towards the pregnant girl and embraced her in a hug. "We would've been there for you. You know we would never say anything to…"

"We know, Mira." Gray said nicely and then he looked to his other friends. "We _know_. But many things could've happen during the first trimester and we wanted to make sure everything was alright before telling you." Most of them were still trying to wrap their minds around the fact that there was indeed a child inside Juvia's stomach, so, to speed up the process, Gray went towards his TV. He and Loki had worked very hard to buy that gigantic thing. He started to push a few buttons on the remote control. "I know that it is hard to believe, but if you just look to the TV…"

_The doctor had put the gel over Juvia's stomach and she grabbed Gray's hand harder as the doctor started to perform the ultrasound; she did warn her that it was cold, but even so, the younger girl was surprised at how chilly it was all the same._

"_Now, let's find your baby…" Doctor Erika said, smiling and looking at the equipment._

_Gray was looking at the monitor, trying to identify something, but it was all gray and rainy; he really couldn't see a baby in there even to save his life. Juvia was biting her lower lip, waiting for the doctor to do her job._

"_Here we go." Erika said with a smile. She pointed to the monitor, where there was a black and white image on it. Gray went to stand beside the TV and she pointed to a small white-gray spot in the middle of a black background. "This is your baby."_

"_That small thing over there?" Gray asked, squinting his eyes._

"_Yes."_

"_It looks like a bean." He frowned, but couldn't stop staring at it._

"_It does. Well… from what I can see, everything looks fine for your twelfth week. But there's something else you two would like to hear today…" The doctor chuckled and after pushing a few buttons, a sound came from the equipment, and a steady thumping sound started to echo through the walls. "This is your baby's heartbeat."_

_Gray grabbed Juvia's hand as hard as he could and looked down at her; she was openly crying, but wearing a smile. He couldn't help but smile as well._

"_I'll give you two a moment." Doctor Erika said kindly and she stepped out of the room._

"_Oh my god…" Juvia breathed. "Did you hear that?"_

"_Yes." Gray kissed the top of her head. "It was…" He tried to find a word, but it failed him. He couldn't describe what he felt when he heard it. He could only smile like a fool._

"_It was." She laughed between tears. "It _really_ was."_

"_And the doctor said that everything is fine with it." Gray said._

"_Juvia doesn't like to call the baby 'it'." The girl looked to the monitor, where the image of their child was. "Not anymore."_

"_Let's call him Bean." Gray suggested. "I mean, it looks like a bean to me."_

_The girl smiled at her boyfriend and then looked to the monitor. "Our little Bean."_

All of the people inside the room looked at it and frowned when a black and white image appeared. Gray went to stand beside the TV and pointed to a spot in the middle of a black background. "This is the baby." He looked around to see all of them staring at it in awe, like he had back at the doctor's. He pushed another button on the remote control and a steady thumping sound started. "And this… this is the baby's heartbeat."

Everyone looked like they were seeing and hearing the most amazing thing in the world and to Gray and Juvia, it was. A baby that was half him and half her. They were waiting for the rest of their friends to say anything at all.

"Okay, this was awesome." Surprisingly, the first one to say it was Natsu, who was staring at the TV with wide eyes.

Right after, the others joined him laughing and smiling with the young couple. The girls went closer to Juvia so they could hug her and put a hand over her stomach in glee, while the men started slapping Gray on the back, wishing him the best. Gray could swear that he saw a tear in Elman's eyes, but didn't mention it; he had shed a few tears himself when he heard the heartbeat for the first time.

"You two never cease to amaze us, do you?" Erza said to Gray after she had congratulated Juvia. She had a small smile on her face.

"Well, we'll try to stop amazing you for some time. I don't believe that _I_ can take many more surprises either." Gray laughed and so did the rest of the people around him.

"Did you tell your mom yet?" Erza asked.

"Yeah, right when I found out. It was a shock, and I needed someone to talk to." Gray laughed. "I e-mailed the sonogram to her yesterday while we were on the phone… She says that dust got in her eyes, but I am pretty sure that she cried hopelessly when she saw it."

"I am hurt that you didn't tell me, Gray." Loki said, by his roommate's side. "We live in the same house!"

"We were waiting for the first trimester to be…" Gray couldn't finish.

"But Gajeel knew and he is sharing an apartment like we do." The orange haired man scowled.

"Well, _I_ was not the one throwing up all the time." Gray rolled his eyes. "Or napping in the oddest places. He had to know, Loki, so he could keep an eye on her when I couldn't."

The orange haired man nodded, understanding a bit why his friend's reasons were good enough.

While Gray chatted with the boys, Juvia was talking to the girls, happy that the secret was out. "Juvia is so happy that you know."

"And we are happy to know." Levy said excitedly. "I can't believe that you are having a baby!"

"Me neither." Lucy said, looking up to Juvia and asking for permission to touch her stomach. Once she received a small nod, she did it. "Can you feel it yet?"

"No, it's too soon." Juvia giggled. "And Gray-sama and I decided not to call the baby 'it' anymore, not after seeing and hearing him. We call him 'Bean' now."

"This is _so_ cute." Mirajane said, hugging her friend again, like an older sister would. "I think everyone will call him Bean eventually."

"And why are you referring to Bean as a 'he'?" Lisanna asked. "Can you tell the sex already?"

"No." The blunette giggled. "It's more like a generalization. We won't know the gender until much later. From the books Juvia bought, it says that the baby is the size of a lime right now and he's just started to develop genitalia, so we'll have to wait a few more weeks to know." She put a hand over her stomach lovingly.

"Well, you are glowing." Cana shrugged. The girls looked at the brunette in question. "What? She is. Look at her skin!"

"That's because increased blood volume and hormones work together and increase oil secretion, which leads to the 'pregnancy glow.'" Levy said and the girls started at her. She blushed. "I read at the bookstore when no one else is around, okay? I happened to read about pregnancies once."

The girls laughed and Juvia remembered something. "Oh, by the way… Juvia's in _desperate_ need to buy a few maternity clothes and since the only ones who knew about it were Gray-sama, Gajeel-kun and Lisanna... I mean, Juvia just _cannot_ picture Gray-sama and Gajeel-kun helping her choose clothes." The girls laughed. "And even though Lisanna-san could've helped, Juvia wanted to have all her friends with her."

The girls 'awed' and had a group hug.

Gray and the boys looked puzzled before staring at each other.

"Not gonna happen, man." Natsu shook his head and the others agreed.

**#**

After lending one of the shirts Juvia kept in Gray's apartment to Cana (her previous blouse was stained with wine) and after two hours of celebration of the new life Juvia and Gray were about to have, everyone went home, leaving only Gray, Loki (who excused himself to go and take a shower) and Juvia behind.

Juvia was sitting on the couch, looking at the image of their child on the TV. They had forgotten to take it off and now that the apartment was relatively empty, it was nice to see the sonogram again.

"Glad the secret's out?" Gray asked, sitting by her side and putting an arm over the girl's shoulder, letting her snuggle into him.

"Yes." She nodded. "Juvia was worried that they would be a little judgmental about Bean, but thankfully they weren't."

"Good." He kissed the top of her head and also stared at the TV. "You know… they pretty much melted with just seeing that kind of image of Bean. Wanna bet that they will drool all over him when he's born?"

She chuckled. "Juvia knows they will." She looked up to her boyfriend then. "And so will we, for that matter."

"What?" Gray fake-snorted. "I will _not_ let this child transform me into a drooling fool."

The blunette couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, right." She teased him. "You'll be the worst of us all!"

"I will not." He said firmly. "It's just a baby, Juvia. It's not like it's the batmobile." He rolled his eyes and she giggled. "Have I ever told you that one of my dreams is to have a batmobile?"

"Would you trade it for Bean?" She teased.

Gray looked to the TV screen and then to Juvia. He smiled and leant over her to give her a small peck on the lips. "No. I wouldn't trade Bean for the world."

**#**

**AN: **Fluff because I am in the mood. LOL BTW: Gajeel is _awesome_.

Thanks to: **Gohanroxme, WednesdaySnow, TheShortySwag, Guest, DarkTsuraHime72, Knight of Athos, Brigitte3, TheWhiteOwl,La p'tite Lili, Esthelar, VitalBlueStatic, otaku03, Yuki Brunestud, intheopen, Avatardd, superduperizee Yukistar, YamixTeaLover, AliceCullen3, Seyrin, Jessicutie, XxPlueXx, underwaterlights, beatress, ahuna67, Guest, cybercorpsesnake, Ratiqu, Essence97, monkeyrawr, Darkhope, Ushiio, 4EverETRNL, AngelBaby5643, CaprisiousKrego, Chibi Waru-chan, FairyTailxoLove **and** Uchiha Evangeline**! Wow! So many! You make my heart beat faster, guys!

Again, I apologize not replying to you: I have no internet at home. I update through my phone and it _sucks_. But I do appreciate everything you say to me! Now I'm gonna work on 'Far Longer Than Forever' and 'The Duchess' (Yes, it's back. My block is goooone!) and I'll try to update this weekend. :)

04/12/13 ~ **BonneyQ**


	13. Mama Bear

**AN:** The chapter is small, but is a small prologue of the next one, which is the _real_ weekend. :D

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Thirteen – Mama Bear**

**#**

_"When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway."_ – **Erma Bombeck**

**#**

After two weeks, everyone got used to the fact that Juvia was pregnant and, of course, they became very protective of her. The guys didn't know much about how pregnant women acted so they were being extra nice and attentive, always asking if she needed anything, or offering their seats even though there were others.

Basically Juvia was the new superstar of Fairy Tail. And she loved it.

She was being pampered and it was a first for her, being taken care of like that. Juvia and the girls even spent a whole day shopping for the much needed maternity clothes. It was so much fun for the blue haired girl; not that the girls never shopped before, it was just that this time all of them were girly, talking about babies.

It was nice to know that she had a family.

The tough part came two weeks later with Gray's monthly family dinner. Juvia was going to meet Ur Milkovich, Gray's mother.

And it terrified her.

What if Ur didn't like her? What if Gray's family didn't like her with him? Sure, she met Ultear, Meredy and Lyon and they seemed to like her (Lyon liked her more than he should, actually), but what if they didn't like her and Gray together?

Okay, Gray had told her that the girls seemed happy about their relationship, but… what if?

"Are you sure this dress is nice?" Juvia asked as she stepped out of the taxi they took from the train station. Both her and Gray had taken the train right after lunch and arrived when the sun was about to set.

"For the thousandth time: yes." He rolled his eyes. "And I don't know why you're so worried. It's just my mom."

"Whom I'm meeting for the first time!" Juvia said, worried. She started to slap her dress to take off some imaginary dust from it. "Juvia wants her to like me. She's going to be the baby's grandmother!"

"She will like you. My mother is..." Gray remembered the way he was treated: it took him a while before even realize that she was sweet inside and she loved everyone in her own tough way. "Well, she'll like you. One day. In a few years. _Maybe_." When he saw Juvia's face he laughed; she looked even more scared than before. "I'm _kidding_, Juvia. She already likes you because you are having her grandchild."

"Gray-sama! Don't scare Juvia like that!" The girl exclaimed and slapped his arm lightly as he gave her a peck on the lips and went to grab their luggage on the taxi's trunk. "Want any help…?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll just ask my _pregnant_ girlfriend to grab a few heavy suitcases, just because." He snorted as he put the bags down and grabbed his wallet. "Don't ask stupid questions, Juvia."

"Sorry." She rolled her eyes. "I was just asking."

"Let your man here take the heavy lifting, sweetheart." The old cabbie said with a wink. "You are already carrying a baby, the least he can do is… well, _do_ everything else. At least that was what my wife told me while she was pregnant." He laughed and soon Juvia's giggled could also be heard and even Gray chuckled.

"I agree." Gray gave the man the money, telling him to keep the change and bent down to take the two suitcases from the floor. "Let's go, _sweetheart_." He teased her.

"Oh, shush." Juvia laughed as they started to walk towards the house; the girl getting more nervous with each step she took.

When they reached the porch, Gray was about to ask Juvia to grab the key from his pocket, when the front door opened. Ur was standing there, a big smile on her face. She was as Juvia thought she would be. Of course the blunette had seen some pictures of the older woman before; her hair was short and dark, her eyes, much like Gray's were a little dropped and narrower than others', and she had a knock out body even though she was older than she looked. Juvia thought that she would have a threatening aura and she was right. Of course, she also eradiated love for her son, _that_ no one could doubt.

"I thought I heard a car pull over." She said even though she had been waiting for them for the past hour and saw their interaction since the moment they stepped out of their cab. "Did you take your sweet time? Gosh, you should've arrived an hour ago." Ur said to Gray and then turned to Juvia. "Introduce us, Gray. I raised you right."

"Mother, this is Juvia." Gray introduced and Juvia smiled to the older woman.

"Nice meeting you." The blunette said, offering a hand to Ur.

"So... You're the girl who Gray knocked-up and made Lyon fall in love. You're pretty enough." Ur looked her from head to toe before taking the blunette's hand. "Let's see if you're good for either of them."

"Mother." Gray scowled. "No crazy stunts. We just arrived; and remember what we talked about on the phone: no ridiculous questions, pictures or any other shit. She's my girlfriend, she's pregnant with my child and let's leave at that."

Ur scoffed. "As if I'm letting this opportunity go, kid. This girl" She pointed to Juvia. "managed to get closer to your heart than you let any other woman, then did the same with Lyon with only batting her eyelashes at him." Juvia's cheek reddened. "She also talked her way out of that little situation Meredy created by convincing her not to kill herself; and later when Ultear tried to take her own life, Meredy told me that Juvia's words saved not only hers, but also my daughter's life." Ur changed her gaze to Juvia. She had a sparkle on her eyes that made Juvia uneasy. "She's so tangled in my family's life that it is surprising that we didn't meet before."

"Yeah. You'll have plenty of time to know her, mom. But not today, okay?" Gray sighed and pushed Juvia gently inside the house with one of the bags he had on his hands while his mother got out of their way. "She's having your grandchild; you'll have plenty of time to talk. Let's postpone this whole questioning; we're leaving in two days. Be nice." Gray warned his mother with a whisper when Juvia was inside the house and couldn't hear them. "Don't embarrass me."

"You look _so_ cute with your cheeks all red." Ur laughed. "This weekend will be priceless! I need to take pictures of you bringing a girl home for the first time."

"Shut up, mom!"

**#**

Once they were inside the house they went upstairs, to Gray's old bedroom, where the couple would stay. Juvia imagined before what his childhood's bedroom was like and she was not disappointed. There were s few posters of soccer players, some of old video-games that were famous a few years back and on the ceiling right above the bed, there was a poster of a busty woman with full lips, blonde hair and wearing nothing more than a bikini.

Gray's cheeks were on fire once he realized where Juvia's gaze was, but Ur was finding it funny.

"Yeah, he took off all the others, but he always liked that one." The older woman chuckled. "He called her… What was her name, Gray? The one you gave it to her? Alyssa?"

"Melissa." Gray mumbled, putting the suitcases on the floor.

"Yes! Melissa!" Ur laughed. "Even after his teenager years he just couldn't Melissa go."

"I said _not_ to embarrass me. It wasn't a challenge, you know?" Gray said under his breath.

"Lighten up, kid." His mother said.

"Well, Gray-sama…" Juvia said with a small smile. "She is very pretty on that poster."

"See? Even your girlfriend agrees with you." Ur poked his chest. "Turn your frown upside down, will you?"

"I thought you would get jealous, Juvia." Gray said without paying too much attention to his mother. "You did before we even got together."

His girlfriend shrugged. "She is pretty on _that _poster. Juvia hopes her breasts are on floor level and that she has a few stretch marks, though. And gained forty pounds." The girl reminded that Ur was there and her hand covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my god. I am so sorry, Ur-san. Juvia was…"

"You, my girl…" Ur said with a big smile. "Will blend in this family just _perfectly_." She stepped closer the blunette and looked down to her stomach. "Now… let's talk about my grandchild. Can I…?" She looked up to Juvia, who just nodded and smiled. Ur, then, carefully put a hand over Juvia's stomach.

"I can feel Bean moving." She said. "Gray-sama hasn't been able to feel yet, though."

Ur giggled. "It still makes me think you two are crazy by calling it 'Bean.' But I saw the ultrasound; it did look like a bean." Gray put an arm around Juvia's shoulders as his mother measured his girlfriend's stomach. He smiled seeing the two women interact, his earlier embarrassment forgotten for the moment. "When will you be able to know the gender?"

"We are still arguing about the whole 'knowing' and 'not knowing' thing." Juvia put a hand on the side of her belly as she looked up to her boyfriend. "Juvia wants to wait…"

"And I want to know." Gray looked down to the blue haired girl with such tenderness that Ur only saw him give that look to her and Meredy on "a few occasions. Those two were so cute together. "It is more practical, Juvia. Even to choose the name."

"We have time to discuss this." Juvia smiled gently to him and Ur had sure that she was deeply in love with him. Oh, how was nice to be young and in love. She remembered when she was so in love with her late husband that she would lose an entire day just looking at him.

"Dinner will be ready by seven thirty. Ultear and Meredy should be arriving at any time now. Lyon called and he will arrive just in time." Gray groaned with his older brother's name. "Shut it, Gray. He's your brother and he will be the baby's uncle."

"Not because I chose it." Gray mumbled and Ur rolled her eyes.

"Oh, grow up, kid. Just because Lyon wants your girlfriend to be his you don't have to act like a five year old who doesn't want to share his toys." The older woman laughed and went towards the door of the bedroom. "Juvia, it was nice to meet you. I'll finish the dinner." The blunette opened her mouth to speak but Ur was faster. "No, you are the visit here; I won't accept help today. You already spent four hours inside a train today. Take a shower and put your feet in the air for a bit. I am sure Gray will give you a foot massage. See you in a few minutes."

"It was nice meeting you too." Juvia offered Ur a sweet smile, which Ur immediately returned just before leaving the room. When she was closing the door though, she heard Juvia talk to Gray. "So… _Melissa_?"

"Hey, we had nice moments." She heard her son speak. "Ouch! Don't do that, Juvia!"

"You should listen to your mother and rub my feet, you know?"

Ur closed the door and laughed all the way to the kitchen. Gray was in good hands for now; of course that later she would have a talk with the mother of her grandchild, but for now she approved the girl.

**#**

**AN:** I love Ur. Gray and Juvia are adorable. That's all.

Special thanks to: **otaku03****, ****juvia fullbuster****, ****Medaka-chan****, ****TheWhiteOwl****, ****Tamniin****, ****Rochi-Chan****, ****Brigitte, ****, ****Yukistar, ****Sandyx5****, ****Jessicutie****, ****cybercorpsesnake****, ****Darkhope****, ****Duchess K****, ****Chibi Waru-Chan****, ****AliceCullen3****, ****AngelBaby5643****, ****Uchiha Evangeline****, ****animegirl115****, ****YamixTeaLover****, ****cuteandfierce99****, ****superduperizee****, ****Knight of Athos****, ****Gray23Dragon****, ****Yuki Brunestud****, ****Cookie-chan91 **and **SapphireRose578**.

And, for the ones who don't know, this weekend I'll be uploading another story. Yeah, me and my thousand stories. It'll be called "OMEGA" and will have werewolves and many other weres! Don't ask me why, it just appeared on my mind. :) I hope you guys like the idea! :D

Anyway… Send me a review so I know what you guys felt during this chapter? Pretty please?

05/09/2013 ~ **BonneyQ**


	14. Under the Mistletoe

**AN:** This chapter is dedicated to all the girls from ONS, especially to **Esthellar**, that even though I didn't pick at the 'secret friend,' I _chose_ to pick. For you, Jam. S2

**WARNING:** This is fluffy. Too. Much. Fluff!

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Fourteen – Under the Mistletoe**

**#**

_"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts."_ – **Unknown Author **

**#**

"Juvia!" The pink haired girl practically threw herself onto the blunette while the older woman laughed and hugged the adolescent. Juvia was still in Gray's old bedroom while her boyfriend took a shower so they could go eat dinner. The future mom had just taken her own shower and finished putting a pink summer dress when the pinkette barged into the room with such happiness.

"Hey, Meredy." Juvia said softly while caressed the pink hair with softness; she had always liked Meredy and now all her 'mommy hormones' were kicking in and she felt even more love for the girl.

"You look so pretty." Meredy gave a step back as she stared at the other woman's stomach. "Oh… you _are_ showing…"

"Yes." The blunette put a hand over her belly. "Gray-sama said that you already claimed to be an aunt."

"I did." Meredy giggled. "I was so happy when he told us that you two were dating and having a baby! Now you are officially part of the family."

"Juvia hopes so." Juvia giggled and hugged Meredy again. It had been what? Four months since the last time they saw each other? Of course they still had their very long phone calls, but face to face, the skin contact was even better.

The younger girl and Juvia had become very close friends for the past two years and even though they lived in different cities, they still kept being friends. Not even the age difference ruined their relationship, Meredy liked to go for Juvia for advice as much she did for her own mother. Maybe she wasn't going to be a bad parent after all…

"What do you hope so?" Gray asked when entered his old bedroom, only with a towel around his waist. Once he noticed the pink haired girl, the man smiled brightly. "Hey, Meredy. Just arrived?"

"Yeah. Mom is downstairs. I came up to meet my nephew or niece." Her green eyes were immediately on Juvia's stomach, and so were her hands. She kneeled in front of Juvia so she could be at the same level as the swollen belly. "Isn't it right, Bean?"

"So you know its nickname?" Juvia laughed and even Gray smirked with the scene in front of him.

"Yeap. And I loved it." Meredy, then, gave a kiss on Juvia's covered stomach. After, she whispered. "I am anxious to meet you." The young woman, then, got up and straightened herself. "Well, I'll leave so you can get dressed, Gray. See you downstairs, Juvia." The girl waved as she left the room; Juvia stood there, without moving, just staring at the closed door.

Noticing the look on his girlfriend's face and was by her side in a second. "What is it?"

"She… she looks so happy of meeting Bean." Her deep blue eyes started to shine with tears. "Your mother, Meredy, our friends… Everyone is being so nice."

Gray sighed in relief that Juvia was fine, just getting emotional. The man put his arms around her shoulders. "That's what families do."

"It feels good, you know? To have a family." The blunette hugged Gray's waist and rested her head on his chest. "It's a first for Juvia."

"Well, family is forever and since this one is your first, it will be your only one." He kissed the top of her head. "Now let me get dressed. As much as I enjoy walk around naked, my mom doesn't like it when I do that during family dinners." Juvia laughed and let him go, while dried a few tears. Seeing that, Gray grabbed softly her chin and made her look at him, while with the back of the other hand, he dried a falling tear. "I mean it, okay?"

"Okay." She offered him a smile and tip toed to press a kiss on his lips.

**#**

"Oh, sorry. Was Juvia staring?" The blunette blushed. She and Ur were putting the plates on the table while Ultear, Meredy and Gray went to the kitchen to get the dinner. Lyon had called a few minutes earlier, saying that he was almost there and since Juvia was being stubborn about helping out, she was assigned to help Ur with arranging the table.

What the pregnant woman was staring at was Ur's prosthetic leg. She could see it clearly since the older woman was wearing a knee length skirt. Ur had seen Juvia's eyes wander to the leg and said nothing, but the blue haired girl noticed that Ur caught her staring.

"Yes." Ur giggled. "Don't worry. It happens a lot."

"Was it difficult to adapt to it?" Juvia asked and immediately covered her mouth in horror. "Sorry. That was rude of me. Juvia is so sorry."

"Calm down, kid." The older woman laughed as she finished putting the last plate on the table. "You can be curious; I won't be offended, and if you ask something I don't want to answer, I won't. Chill." Juvia nodded and they were both in silence for a moment. "A bit."

Juvia looked up with eyebrows together in question, so Ur clarified. "The leg. It was a little difficult to adapt, but I'd do it all over again." Narrowing her eyes a bit, she asked: "Did Gray ever tell you how I lost my leg?"

"No." Juvia shook her head and was Ur's turn to be surprised: very few selected people knew exactly how she lost her leg and she was sure that by now her son would already told her the mother of his child! "Juvia knows the story from Erza-san, though."

"Well, the price I paid, the leg I lost... It's nothing compared to his life, free of revenge." The older woman said. "I'd give _anything_ for my children, Juvia. I love them this much." She smiled and pointed to the girl's stomach. "You'll understand in no time."

The blunette was nodding in understanding when the front door opened and a known voice said: "I am home!"

Ur's face lit up, Juvia noticed. The dark haired woman loved her children so much that Juvia could feel how much eradiated from her. The pregnant girl hoped that she would act like that once Bean was born. She had felt it move a few times and when did, Juvia never felt better in her life. Inside her, there was a baby that her and Gray made, a human being that would depend on her and she would forever be connected to, no matter what.

"Hey, kiddo!" Ur said happily as soon as Lyon stepped inside the dining room. Juvia turned to see him and he hesitated a little once he saw her. The man was still as handsome as he always was. His narrow eyes were still the perfect size for his nice face. His hair was still as stylish as always. Lyon was a little taller than Gray, but besides that, they had pretty much the same physical build. Which, automatically, made him a very, _very_ hot man.

"Hey, Mom." Lyon kissed his mother's cheek and then turned to Juvia with a smile. "Juvia-chan. You look beautiful as always."

Assuming he was being polite, Juvia smiled back. "Thank you, Lyon-san. Nice to see you again."

It surprised the pregnant girl when he let the bags he was holding fall to the ground and was immediately on his knees, holding her hand. "Oh, Juvia-chan! You make my heart flutter when you say things like that." The blunette started to blush, while Ur looked amused. "I say that you and I go hit the road. You, me and the baby. If it has dark hair like that idiot's, we can always dye it blue or white."

"Ly-Ly-Lyon-san!" Juvia tried to pull him up from the floor, embarrassed that her mother-in-law (sort of) was seeing the whole thing. "You… get up, please." He did as he was told and put his arms around her. "Lyon-san!"

"You look absolutely stunning, Juvia." He didn't put a hand over her stomach, but looked to it. "Being pregnant suits you. I am looking forward for you to have our babies…"

"LYON!" The scream startled Juvia, who jumped a little. Gray had arrived with a tray with ribs on it. Juvia's stomach growled with the sight of it. It looked so delicious! But the thought was discarded as soon as it arrived on her mind because Gray put the tray on the table and walked closer to the… couple. "For god's sake, man! Hands off! And no delusions about _you_ getting _her_ pregnant!" Gray removed Lyon's hand away from his girlfriend and putting himself between them.

Ultear and Meredy arrived with the rest of the trays of food and couldn't help but snicker at Gray. It was weirdly good to see the guy showing jealousy.

"I told you that I am not giving up on her." Lyon shrugged and turned to the girls who had walked in. Hey, Ultear. Meredy."

Ur laughed at Gray's expression and Juvia's redness. "Let's sit down and eat. Lyon, go wash your hands. We will want to remember this dinner."

**#**

"So, how's Gray in bed, Juvia?" Ur smiled and as the words came out of her mouth, Gray –who was taking a sip of his wine– started coughing, while Lyon dropped his fork on the table.

"Mother!" The white haired man exclaimed in surprise, while Gray was getting redder and redder while coughed. Ultear was hiding a smirk, while Meredy laughed hard. "No one wants to know _that_!"

"Excuse me?" Juvia asked, also surprised with the question.

"Gray. How's he? Quick on the trigger? Calm? Rough? Sentimental?" Ur was cutting her food as if they were talking about the weather. Juvia's mouth was opening and closing like a fish's. "He's soft inside, but put up the tough act, so I have to guess. Which one is he?"

"Don't ask her that!" Gray said between gasps of hair and a few coughs.

"Well, to tell the truth he's..." Juvia started to say, but got cut off.

"DON'T ANSWER HER!" Gray got up. "That's it, we're leaving."

"Mom's just messing with you, Gray." Ultear rolled her eyes. "Trust me, she does _not _want to know about your sex life."

"It doesn't matter! I introduce her to Juvia two hours ago and she asks about… _it_?" The dark haired man's cheeks were rosy and hot, he was sure.

"Well, you knocked her up, your sex life is now very relevant for me, kid. I am just meeting my daughter-in-law."

"Mother, they're not married, so the '-in-law' part is…" Lyon said, making his point clear that he didn't give up Juvia yet.

"It doesn't matter, boy." Ur rolled her eyes. "She's going to have my grandchild, so she's family now. Right, Juvia?"

"I guess so, Ma'am."

"Call me Ma'am once again and I'll put you over my knees and spank you, girl." She narrowed her eyes and Juvia nodded in agreement and fear. "Call me Mother. Or Ur."

"Thank you, Ma… Ur-san." Juvia smiled.

"Good enough. Now, when exactly this baby due? I need to make myself perfectly clear that I'm not babysitting. You two made the kid, you two will handle it. I may hug it once or twice."

**#**

Ultear offered to go get the dessert for the others and Juvia promptly offered assistance. She wanted to help out as much as she could, but no one seemed to let her. Ultear saw no harm in let the girl follow her to get the ice-cream.

"It was such good news to hear about the baby. It cheered everyone up. Especially my mom and Meredy. They are pretty excited." Ultear said as she prepared the cups for the ice-cream.

"Juvia is glad." The blunette said.

"Do you love him that much?" Ur asked, curious. "Gray, that is. Since when I met you I've been meaning to ask you that."

"Yes." Juvia didn't hesitate. "I've loved him since the day we met."

"Sorry, I don't believe in love at first sight." Ultear shrugged and Juvia giggled.

"Juvia didn't either; until she met him." She said. "I can't say how much he changed Juvia's life for the better. He is Juvia's dream; he introduced me to my friends, he… is Juvia's sun and I am glad to orbit around him."

Ultear stared at the pregnant girl, and saw the truth in her eyes. She already knew, but it was almost suffocating with the love she could see in the deep blue eyes of the younger woman. Juvia Lockser was so much in love with her younger brother, Gray Fullbuster, that Ultear got jealous of how much.

"You are lucky, then."

"Juvia is." The blunette nodded.

"Could you grab the ice-cream?"

"Sure." Juvia said as she opened the refrigerator to get it.

Neither girl realized that a certain short-haired brunette was listening to them. Ur had gone after the girls, because she realized that Ultear alone couldn't get the cups alone when she heard the conversation. Curious about the feelings of the blue-haired girls, she stayed hidden until it was over.

She was proud of her son to have found a girl that loved him that much. Or maybe she was the one who found him. It didn't matter as long as they found each other.

"Need any help?" Ur stepped inside the kitchen to help the girls.

**#**

While Juvia was talking to Meredy and Ultear about some random thing, Gray excused himself and found his mother at the balcony, looking up to the clear sky. The moon was shining like silver that night, and it looked beautiful.

"The baby will be born around February or so, right? Maybe will snow, just like when I had my kids." Ur said and Gray was surprised that she heard him coming. But again, Ur always was a step ahead of her children. "I found Lyon and you during a snow day." She said without turning. "Different snow days, of course, but snow days nevertheless."

"I remember." Gray walked and stood next to her.

"I lost my leg in a snow day too."

"I also remember that." He looked down to his feet in shame about that.

"You were such a brat." She chuckled. "Couldn't listen to a word I said. You just _had_ to go out there and face that thug even after I told you a thousand times that you couldn't." Gray stared down to his cup. "I lost my leg and I bet that you still carry that weight on your shoulders up until this day, right?"

"Pretty hard to get over the fact that you made your mother lose her leg." He sighed and Ur nodded.

"Sure, sure." The woman looked to the sky. "Me, on the other hand would gladly chop every limb I have for any of my kids, you know."

"You already gave me the speech so many times, Mother." Gray sighed again. "That I was a kid, I thought I was invincible, and how you wanted to seal my darkness. I know all that."

Ur laughed softly. "But you didn't listen, did you? You still blamed yourself and you still do every time you see my prosthetic leg the guilt resurges a tiny bit. That I can't take away. And as for your darkness… You let go a lot of your hate that night. Not all, but most of it."

"Yeah." He scratched his head.

"Then you found that club of yours, the guild. You smiled more." Ur changed her gaze towards her son. "You opened your heart for them. Not quite as much as you could, since it's in your nature to be more reserved. Those friends of yours, I knew from the moment I met them that you were in good hands. They helped sealing more of your darkness."

A cold winter's breezed pass and Ur had to stop talking for a bit.

"And that girl inside, Juvia. You sealed her darkness, she said so herself." Gray looked up and met her gaze. "And in return, she helped bring the missing warmth in your life. Now, with that baby, you'll finally understand what it means to love someone better than your life."

They stood in silence for some time.

"So, bottom line: did you like her?"

"She made you love, Lyon to finally like someone, stopped Meredy from becoming a bad person for the rest of her life and pretty much saved my Ultear's life with the things she said to Meredy when she decided to kill herself in order to make up for Meredy's past. Hell yeah I liked her. That girl pretty much saved my whole family." Ur smiled. "I might adopt her and kick your sorry ass out of the house."

"I don't live here anymore, old woman." Gray rolled his eyes and received a smack on the back of his head.

"Shut up and get inside. There's a mistletoe beside the stairwell, you know." Ur said cheekily.

"Mistletoe? It's not Christmas for another four months. Besides, she's _pregnant_, it's not like I need one of those." Gray rolled his eyes.

"Sure _you_ don't. I'm just telling you that because Lyon's the one who put it there. I saw him when I was getting the ice cream. He's been trying to get Juvia underneath it during the whole evening." Ur shrugged and opened the door to return to her house.

"That son of a bitch!" Gray stormed inside the house, followed by a giggling Ur. "Lyon! Don't you dare bring Juvia to... Juvia, step away from him!"

**#**

**AN: **Oh, man! I love Lyon so much! Too bad that Juvia is Gray's.

Thanks to: **Rochi-Chan****, ****cybercorpsesnake****, ****Please make more****, ****Cookie-chan91****, ****Asbe****, ****meigore****, ****Seyrin****, ****AliceCullen3****, ****Heartgold****, ****Sarapyon****, ****Chibi Waru-Chan****, ****otaku03****, ****Theejay-sama****, ****Elibe****, ****YamixTeaLover****, ****Yukistar, ****MrsGooglyBear****, ****SapphireRose578****, ****TAEMiNATOR18****, ****animegirl115****, ****Gray23Dragon****, ****BrigitteoO****, ****Duchess K****, **** .92****, ****Maki-Zushi****, ****superduperizee****, ****Ratiqu****, ****Professor Nebilim, ****Sandyx5****, ****Tamniin****, ****Darkhope**and**Medaka-chan** for the lovely reviews! You are _the _best!

I hope everyone stayed in character! :) Tell me what you think!

05/19/2013 ~ **BonneyQ**


	15. Larger

**AN:** You guys spoil me too much with such lovely reviews! *3*

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Fifteen – Larger**

**#**

_"I'm in my bed, you are in yours. One of us is definitely on the wrong place."_ – **Unknown Author **

**#**

After the weekend at his Mother's, Gray felt a lot more relieved to know that his family accepted Juvia with open arms. Of course, seeing Lyon almost give his girlfriend a kiss wasn't the highlight of it, of course. But punching him on the face, was.

Juvia was confused of what was happening, but Ur just laughed and took her away from the two fighting grown men that were acting like children.

'_Get used to it, Juvia_.' Ur said with a smile, leading the younger girl to the living room. '_Boys will be boys and if you're having one, you'll get used to know which fights to battle and which ones to just let them punch each other and figure things out by themselves. Hell, even if you _are_ having a girl, sometimes you just need to let the girl pull her bff's hair. You'll understand once you're a mom._'

They returned to Magnolia on Sunday, both feeling relieved that everyone knew about the pregnancy and were happy about it, Gray and Juvia went straight to her apartment, where they celebrated with style all night long.

The problem was that during the whole week, they celebrate it all the time. She would send him a text during their lunch hour and between classes, so they could meet and… well, do it like bunnies.

Loki and Gray were playing video-game, in a Friday evening, when the dark haired man's cellphone chirped, informing that a text arrived. He took the phone in his hand

"Juvia wants me to come over." Gray groaned, getting up. "I like sex as much as the next guy, but… I just need a night off. These pregnancy hormones are killing me."

The orange haired boy rolled his eyes. "Yeah… there's a beautiful woman, full of hormones, _willing_ to give you crazy monkey sex. I can see how difficult your life is."

Gray stopped for a second, thinking about the subject. Okay, so his life wasn't bad, he and Juvia _did_ have crazy monkey sex. He smirked and grabbed his wallet and keys. "I won't complain again."

"You better not, otherwise the next time I'll have to kick your ass." Loki yelled as Gray left their apartment.

**#**

The next day, all the girls got together for a friendly lunch at the Strauss' family restaurant, while the boys went to do whatever boys do together. Juvia was happy to be around them, laughing and exchanging stories.

"So… Juvia." Mirajane sat across the table from the blue haired pregnant woman with a kind smile on her face. "How are you feeling with the pregnancy?"

"Well…" The girl started to get flushed. "It's… fine."

"Oh… There's something you are not telling us." Cana said, putting an arm around Juvia's shoulder. "You can tell us, Juvia."

"I'm..." Juvia's face was as red as a tomato. "I'm..."

"What?" The other girls asked, now very curious about what was happening.

"_Horny_." The blunette whispered and the other girls blinked in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lucy asked.

"I'm _horny_. All the time!" Juvia whisper was high pitched. "It doesn't go away!"

"Oh my god." Lisanna covered her mouth.

"Well, I say: take the problems with your own hands if you catch my drift." Cana shrugged and the girls blushed.

"Cana!"

"What?" The older girl shrugged. "It's not like you don't do it!"

They were all silent.

"Well... Juvia tried to... Take the problem with her… own hands, but... It's not... _Fulfilling._" Juvia was almost vermillion with the subject. "And Juvia tried everything there is to try but it doesn't go away! So, Juvia needs to call Gray-sama to…"

"So, you are after Gray like a shark smelling blood on the water." Cana rolled her eyes. "Am I right or am I right?"

"We should not be talking about this." Erza's face was as red as her own hair at that point. "Gray is like a brother to me." She whispered the last part.

The girls looked with sympathy to their pregnant friend.

"Don't worry, Ju-chan." Levy said, taking one of Juvia's hands with her own. "Those are pregnancy hormones. Some women go crazy horny."

"You just have to endure it a little bit." Lucy said.

"Why?" Lisanna shrugged. "I say go to Gray every time."

"What?" Juvia, Levy and Lucy asked surprised while Mira just giggled.

"That's right!" Cana agreed. "He already put the bun in the oven. It's his kid and he did say that he would help you out."

"Not with _that_!" The pregnant girl hoped that a hole in the ground could open, so she could be swallowed by the earth. She should _not_ have brought up the subject.

Levy was considering the other girl's words. "A side effect of the pregnancy is to get horny. I don't think he would mind helping you out with it."

"Besides, it's not as if men just turn down women that want to sleep with them." Lucy shrugged and taking a sip of her soda.

Juvia thought for a second. "He _does _walk around without a shirt..." She said.

"There you go." Cana laughed. "Jump his bones. He needs to be grateful that anyone wants to have sex with him."

"Okay. Let's stop the subject, please?" Erza groaned.

"Prude alert." Cana coughed the words out, but everyone could understand it.

"Shut up!" The red haired woman rolled her eyes. "I am _not_ a prude."

"Right." The brunette said and the girls giggled, as the subject changed towards Erza and Jellal's relationship.

**#**

Later that night, after Juvia had taken the advice of continue to let Gray help her out with the 'horny situation,' her boyfriend was fast asleep by her side, but she couldn't sleep: Juvia was craving. And not for sex, she wanted food.

Chocolate ice cream with pickles, actually.

Not just the ice cream. Not just the pickles. Juvia wanted both, _together_. And she never was a fan of pickles, but apparently, Bean was.

She looked to her side, to her boyfriend and then to the clock on her bedside. She really didn't want to wake him up at 4:30 in the morning to go get food to her; even though this was one of those things she knew women do, she was just a little bit over four months pregnant. She wouldn't get tired of walking a block to go to the 24 hour convenience store. She had done it before.

As quietly as she could, the girl pushed the cover away from herself and also his arm, which was above her stomach. After putting some pants and a shirt, she grabbed her coat and left the room, making as little noise as she could.

If Bean wanted ice cream and pickles. Bean would get ice cream and pickles.

**#**

When Gray woke up, it was because he didn't feel the warm body that was supposed to be by his side. Truly speaking, said body would normally be all over him, which he welcomed it, of course. It was a very nice thing to have Juvia by his side when he woke up. They would talk for a few minutes about what both would do that day, together or apart, while he had his hand over her growing stomach; he wanted to feel Bean already! Juvia already felt like 'butterflies wings were fluttering on her stomach', her words. Gray just wanted to feel something, _anything_.

Sitting on the bed, he looked around, so he could see the clock. 5:56. Maybe Juvia got sick again? Even though the first semester was over, it was common for the women to still feel sick during the pregnancy, at least it was what the doctor said, and Juvia liked to stay in bed with Gray as much as she could these days. He especially liked these days; waking up with a horny girlfriend was not the worst thing in the world.

So, she leaving the bed before Gray was unusual, which led said man to get up to find his girlfriend. He hoped Juvia wasn't sick, or anything. It really sucked to see her like that.

Once he put his underwear on, the dark haired man left Juvia's room. It was easy to deduce where the woman was, since the television of the living room was on. She was watching some sci-fi movie that looked so trashy… but the blunette seemed to be enjoying, because she was eating some potato chips and looking at the television like her life depended of it.

"You left me in bed to see some random movie?" Gray said, sitting by her side.

"Don't scare Juvia like that, Gray-sama!" The girl put a hand over her chest. "This is a scary movie."

"Right." The man put his arm around her shoulders, as she snuggled closer to him. He ate a few potato chips as the movie proceeded. "I don't get it."

"Juvia doesn't either." The blunette shrugged. "She's hoping that the movie will make sense later on."

"I see." Gray chuckled as they proceeded to watch the movie, until something came on his mind. "Wait… You said yesterday that you didn't have any chips. How come you are eating some?"

"Oh…" The girl looked to the bag on her hands and then up to her boyfriend. "Juvia went to buy ice cream and pickles, so she bought a bag of chips. I don't know why, but Bean loves pickles. Couldn't let me sleep until I had some."

"Wait, wait, wait. What?" Gray removed his arms from her shoulders, placing her hands on it, instead. "When exactly did you go to buy these things?"

"Around 4:30, why?" Juvia frowned in confusion when Gray got up and started to walk from one side to another. "What is it?"

"Juvia, you cannot just walk around the town during the night, especially now that you are pregnant!" He said in exasperation.

"It's a block away from here, Gray-sama. Juvia hardly walked around the town." The blunette rolled her eyes and dismissed the subject with a wave of her hand.

"It doesn't matter, Juvia! It's not safe! There's a homeless man that lives on the ally, he could've…" Her boyfriend tried to reason.

"T-Pup is a sweet man who made a few bad choices, Gray-sama." The pregnant woman also stood up and started to walk towards the kitchen. "Juvia gives him a meal three times a week, he says that she is his angel and won't let anyone hurt her if she needs to go to the grocery store a few times a week at night." She chuckled.

"Wait… You know the homeless man? By _name_?" Gray was confused. "And when did he say that to you?"

"Last week. Bean wanted to eat burritos, and there's a place nearby that…"

"So last night wasn't the first time you…" The man stopped talking, to take a deep breath. "Juvia, what on earth…? How many times have you…?"

"Four or five times." Juvia opened the freezer so she could grab the ice cream. "Don't worry, Gray-sama. Juvia doesn't go out every night."

"You should've asked me, Juvia. What if you were assaulted? What if you were robbed and shot? Kidnapped? Fallen and no one saw?" Gray was getting restless and restless by the second. "I was right by your side today, Juvia!"

"It's no big deal, Gray-sama." Juvia assured him. "First Juvia was afraid, but neither you nor Gajeel-kun were home, and Juvia really wanted smashed potatoes, but we didn't have any potatoes here, so she needed to go to the store. T-Pup recognized Juvia and escorted her to the store, no harm done."

"You could've called me, Juvia." Gray stepped closer to his girlfriend. "I was right here…"

"Not the other times." The blunette shrugged, grabbing a spoon. "Juvia was alone at home and to make you come all way over here to bring Juvia potatoes or ice cream in the middle of the night? Juvia can handle go to the grocery store. Don't worry, okay?

"Of course I worry! You are pregnant, Juvia. It's already dangerous for a woman to walk on the street during the night, imagine a pregnant one? You are not as fast as before." Gray said and as soon as the words came out from his mouth, he knew he dropped a bomb. Juvia stopped her spoon mid-air to eat the ice cream when he said them.

"Did you… Did you just call Juvia fat?"

"No, _no_." Gray tried to calm her down. "I meant that pregnant women are an easier target, because they get slow…"

"They get slow because they get _fat_, like Juvia is right now?" The woman put the ice cream on the counter.

"Juvia, you are having a baby. You are supposed to get larger..." And he continued to dig his grave.

"_Larger_?" The pregnant woman poked into his chest. "Who got Juvia pregnant, huh?"

"Well…"

"This is _your_ child Gray-sama! It's not fat, it's a baby! And yes, Juvia is supposed to get room on her belly so the baby can fit, since Juvia always had a flat stomach, her body needs to change to fit a baby with your large head on it! It didn't seem to turn you off until now." Juvia poked his chest again. "What is it now? Juvia's suddenly _too_ fat? Don't you want Juvia anymore? Is that it?"

"What? I never said…" Gray tried to say, but was cut off.

"You didn't have to." She narrowed her eyes. "It's _your_ baby making Juvia fat, so get over it! I'm taking my ice cream and I will go to finish seeing the movie." She grabbed the ice cream and started to walk to the living room. "Grab the freaking pickles, your child wants it! And if Juvia just even _dreams_ that you are thinking that she's eating too much..." She left the threat in the air.

'_What the hell just happened?'_ Gray thought as she watched her go. _'Mood swings? Oh, great. I preferred when she was at the horny-phase. Didn't appreciate it as much as I should.'_

**#**

**AN:** Juvia with mood swings is funny to write. I know Gray's head is normal sized, but well… No head is small enough to pass through the birth canal, that much I tell ya.

Thanks to: **BrigitteoO****, ****animegirl115****, ****DoomedToBeACrazyFanGirlForever****, ****Gray23Dragon****, ****superduperizee****, ****PandaGirl****, ****Xeylah****, ****Wretched.48****, ****Lsummors****, ****Medaka-chan****, ****meigore****, ****Jessicutie****, ****Darkhope****, ****Esthellar****, ****Yukistar, ****Maki-Zushi****, ****MrsGooglyBear****, ****cybercorpsesnake****, ****otaku03****, ****eskitoprak****, ****Tamniin****, ****AliceCullen3****, ****Summer Eclair****, ****CoolCat19698****, ****Yuki Brunestud****, ****Rochi-Chan****, ****Arcane Valor****, ****SakuraIchigoDark****, ****Heartgold****, ****Chibi Waru-Chan****, ****Sarapyon****, ****FairyTailGirlHayden****, ****mgaa****, ****Uchiha Evangeline****, ****SapphireRose578****, ****Cookie-chan91****, ****Sandyx5****, ****TheShortySwag****, ****NekoMaji****, ****Allegracat****,****YamixTeaLover **and **Rainbows-and-Rainclouds****, **who reviewed. I love you awesome people! S2

06/01/2013 ~ **BonneyQ**


	16. Hormones

**AN:** Quick update, guys! *3*

**#**

**What to Expect When You're Expecting**

**Chapter Sixteen – Hormones**

**#**

_"We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen."_ – **Paulo Coelho **

**#**

He was so tired that all Gray wanted was to sleep for a whole week; so when he arrived home after a day at work, all the man wanted was to go to bed and rest. Apparently, no one told his girlfriend.

Not even after five minutes he was inside his apartment, he received a call from her. He thought about just ignore it and go to sleep, but he thought about Bean. He had to take the call.

"Hey, Juvia." Gray sighed.

"_Gray-sama!" _Her voice was excited and the man smiled with how perky she sounded. _"Can you come over?"_

"Juvia, I am tired."

"_Bean moved!"_ She squealed in happiness. _"Bean just moved and Juvia could feel it with her hand! I think you can feel it now too!"_

"What?" Gray was getting excited about it himself. He was waiting for it to happen for a while now. "I… How? When?" He was searching for his keys as they spoke on the phone.

"_Just a minute ago."_ She laughed. _"Juvia's sure you can feel it now, Gray-sama!"_

"I'll be at your place in five minutes!" He was out of his bedroom and walking towards the door when Loki asked what was going on. "My kid is moving!"

The orange haired man didn't get it, so he just shrugged and decided to ask about it later.

**#**

Gray didn't care that he probably got twenty speeding tickets during the way to Juvia's; he got his bicycle and was at her apartment in 8 minutes and 13 seconds. Once he opened the apartment with the key she gave him, Gray found her sitting on the couch, with a big smile.

"Bean's still at it!"

Kneeling in front of her on the couch, Gray carefully put his hand over Juvia's was. The expectation was killing him, and when he felt nothing, he looked up to Juvia, disappointed, but she just kept smiling.

"Wait…"

True enough, after a few seconds, he felt underneath the palm of his hand a small movement. That was his child, giving a hello to him even before it was born! How amazing was that?

"I felt that!" Gray exclaimed and after a moment, there was another movement and he laughed. "I felt that too, Juvia!"

"Yeah." The blunette was openly crying, but smiling at the same time. "Isn't it nice?"

He sat by her side on the couch, his hands never leaving her swollen stomach and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's amazing. I was starting to think that Bean was refusing to let me feel it!"

After a minute, all the movement stopped and Gray removed his hands from her stomach, putting an arm around her shoulders while she nested herself on him.

"I can't believe I almost missed Bean's first movements." He said after a while, when the high of feeling his unborn child for the first time was going away. "If I hadn't got here when I did…"

"The good thing is that you arrived in time." Juvia looked up to him and gave him a light kiss on his lips. "You shouldn't go back to your place, Gray-sama. You look tired. Let's go to bed."

Gray nodded, but his mind was starting to create a plan. He was not missing another moment of this pregnancy.

**#**

The living arrangements were crap.

Gray and Juvia were having a baby together and he was living with Loki while she was living with Gajeel. How on earth could they raise a baby like that? Well, some people could manage, but Gray didn't want to live far away from Juvia and the baby. What if something happened and he was not around? Just like when she wanted to eat ice cream and pickles at four in the morning, and went to buy it.

He was still pissed off about it, of course. Gray was right by her side; he would gladly get up to fetch her some pickles, for goodness sake! Wasn't it one of those things men did for their pregnant women?

After thinking for a few days, Gray put his plan in motion. The people involved on it were more than eager to help him out, the only thing that was now missing, was telling the pregnant girl, who was full of hormones and the night before cried for half an hour after seeing an ad for a diamond necklace on a magazine.

"_Do you kno-know th-that they make chi-children work for th-them ba-back where they g-g-g-get the diamonds?" The woman was crying so hard and sobbing so much that Gray was having a hard time trying to get what she was saying._

"_So… you don't like diamonds because of it?" He tried to be supportive, putting an arm around her shoulders._

"_Of course Juvia likes diamonds! They are beautiful and shiny!" The blunette pushed him away from her, got up from the couch, threw the magazine at him and said: "What's _wrong_ with you?" She, then, left for her bedroom, slamming the door on the way, leaving a very confused Gray behind._

That conversation about moving would be very unpleasant, Gray knew. Juvia and Gajeel were together since before they arrived in Magnolia, years ago. He knew they had it rough, and some things not even Juvia would tell him about it, and to get separated would be a hard blow.

That's why his co-author in the plan, was Levy McGarden, Gajeel's girlfriend.

With the pretext of having dinner together, both he and Levy gathered both after the meal to talk seriously.

"Levy and I were talking." Gray said, glancing towards the petite girl who was sitting by his side, while she nodded, offering support. "This is not working." Gajeel and Juvia looked at each other, confused, before Gray started to talk again. "You two living together is not working anymore."

"Oh..." Juvia said, frowning. "But…"

"No." Gray shook his head. "As your boyfriend, I don't like the fact that my girlfriend lives with a guy. It was fine for a while, but now it just pisses me off. I know Gajeel spends most of his nights with Levy anyways, and I stay here, but even so."

"I agree." Levy nodded, looking at the pregnant girl with her chocolate eyes. "I love you Ju-chan and I know you love Gray, but... What if he shared an apartment with a beautiful woman, what would you feel? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes." Juvia nodded. She totally understood what Levy was feeling. The blunette already felt jealous that Gray shared an apartment with Loki, a man. She would've died in frustration if his roommate was a girl; that is, if the roommate didn't have an 'accident.'

"Well, I don't." Gajeel crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the sofa. "We live together just fine."

"Gajeel, you have seen Juvia's _breasts_." Gray was serious, hating the idea that another man saw her naked, even though he knew it happened, the feeling wasn't better because of it. "What if it was Levy and... I don't know... Me! You would be pissed, right?"

"Wait, did you see Juvia's breasts?" Levy asked glancing towards Juvia's more than sizable chest -especially with the pregnancy- while she had a much smaller one. She knew Gajeel like her body, but she would like to have bigger boobs to show to him. Like Juvia had.

"Damn, Fullbuster. Buy me dinner before fucking me over." Gajeel whispered under his breath when Levy glared at him. "Look, shit happens, okay? Wake up early is difficult, so sometimes I just go to the bathroom without listening to the shower running. It happens."

"Well, we don't want it to happen anymore, do we?" Levy hissed and Gajeel visibly paled.

"Especially with the baby on the way." Gray pointed to Juvia's bump and the girl immediately put her hand over it. "You and I need to speak about living arrangements. I hate that I wasn't here to go get food to you during the night, or that I almost missed the first time Bean moved. I don't want to miss anything else, Juvia. I think we should find a place of our own. For you, me and Bean."

There were a few moments of silence, where the four of them just stared at each other, until Juvia spoke softly.

"Can… Can Juvia and Gajeel talk first?" The blunette asked, making Gray and Levy nod and get up from the couch.

"Sure." Levy said and offered Juvia a smile, which the pregnant girl returned.

Once both were at the kitchen, talking about something neither she nor Gajeel could identify, Juvia turned to Gajeel, and whispered. "What should we do?"

"You should go look for a place for you and the kid with Stripper." Gajeel shrugged, looking up to the ceiling. "They're right, you know? You have your own family now."

"We've been together for eight years." Juvia pointed out.

"I know." The dark haired man let out a sigh.

"I don't wanna lose you." She teared up and hugged the big man that was by her side, as he patted her on the back, clumsy.

"You'll just live in another place, Juvia. You and I are not saying good-bye forever." Gajeel rolled his red eyes and sighed in annoyance. "Besides, I would be cranky if I had to wake up with a baby crying every day."

The girl chuckled. "Juvia's not looking forward to it either." They stayed in silence for a moment, still somewhat hugging each other. "You don't know how to cook. You'll put the whites along with the colors when you do laundry. You'll forget the date to pay the bills…"

Gajeel snorted. "I can cook noodles, I don't have any white clothes and I can put a note on my phone so I don't forget to pay the bills." Juvia looked up to him and he looked down to her. "You don't have to mother me anymore, Juvia. Focus on _your_ kid. I lived alone for a decade before meeting you, I think I can survive."

"You'll forget about Juvia!" Her eyes started to water and Gajeel began to panic. If this was normal Juvia, it was a different thing. With a Pregnant Hormonal Juvia was impossible to know what could calm her down or what could trigger another river from her eyes.

"Fullbuster…" Gajeel squeaked. Yes, _squeaked_. "Gray! Come here."

Juvia's boyfriend was by their side in a heartbeat, worried. "What did you say to her?" He stared at his sobbing girlfriend, who was hugging Gajeel as tightly as she could. "Gajeel, what did you…?"

"I said that I could take care of myself!" Gray muttered: 'Idiot' and Gajeel looked to Juvia's blue hair, her face was buried on his chest while crying, then Gray, then Levy, who took her cellphone out and was probably taking pictures. "Shrimp, you better stop…"

"People will love to know that a crying girl is enough to make the great Gajeel Redfox panic." Levy giggled, and even Gray grinned, before lean over to his girlfriend.

"Juvia… Juvia. Come on." Gently, Gray removed Juvia's arms from Gajeel. She wrapped them around Gray instead. The boy was used to have her sobbing about the most random things for the last couple of weeks. "You two can go, I've got this."

Levy offered her hand to Gajeel, which he took it and both went to the man's room, leaving Gray with a crying Juvia.

It took ten minutes for the girl to calm down, and during the whole time, Gray was rubbing her back and her hair. It took him three crying outbursts to figure out that she calmed down faster when her hair was stroked.

"So many changes…" The blunette said in a low voice. "Five months ago we haven't even kissed yet and now, apparently, we will move in together, and in four months we will have a baby." Gray groaned a non-committal sound; it was better to let her have her own thoughts, otherwise he could trigger some more crying. "Everything is changing so fast and so radically."

"Yes." Gray put a hand over her stomach. "And things will change even more, Juvia."

"Juvia never had a real family." She whispered. "Not like the baby will. Juvia didn't have a mother or a father to count on. What if Juvia doesn't know how to be a mother? Wha-What if she screws up and Bean hates Juvia? What if…?"

"Okay, okay… Calm down." Gray chuckled. "You'll be a good mom, Juvia. Freaking out about it is a way of caring…" She sighed and started to move away from Gray.

"Are you sure that you want to live with Juvia, Gray-sama?" The girl asked while getting up from the couch. "It's a big step."

"Yes, I am. We are already having a baby and we are together. It's the logical way. Besides, it's nice to wake up next to you. The rest of the day just gets better after it." Gray shrugged and Juvia, who was about to get something to eat, turned around to look at her boyfriend, eyes watering again. When he noticed it, Gray got up too, but couldn't go too far after being tackled back to the couch.

"G-G-G-G-Gray-sama is s-s-s-so sweet!"

Crazy things, hormones.

**#**

**AN:** Hey guys! How did you like this chapter? Was Gray too sudden with his 'request'?

Thanks to: **ninjamedina18, Theejay-sama, MashiroLOVE, Guest, Heartgold, Babykat570, Rochi-Chan, MrsGooglyBear, Cookie-chan91, Allegracat, Xeylah, FairyTailGirlHayden, TAEMiNATOR18, Yukistar, Gray23Dragon, Tamniin, AliceCullen3, otaku03, Jessicutie, Sarapyon, CeeCeeBee, Darkhope, animegirl115, YamixTeaLover, xScarletxMoonx0, Professor Nebilim, Summer Éclair, superduperizee, SappireRose578, Sandyx5, Chibi War-Chan, CapriciousKrego, DoomedToBeACrazyFanGirlForever, 4EverETRNL, Mitsuzo, BrigitteoO **and** Medaka-chan**, who reviewed! You guys are awesome.

Oh, guys… I need your help. What do you think Gray's job should be? :D

06/18/2013 ~ **BonneyQ**


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